Moonlight Confessions
by WhiteMacabre001
Summary: Yusuke X Reader. Yusuke is upset by his relationship with Keiko, and so you offer to listen. But what you hear, is not what you were expecting.
1. Chapter 1:Moonlight Confessions

It was always the same thing. Yusuke would do something stupid, Keiko would find out, the two would argue, and Yusuke would be kicked out of their apartment. You'd watched this trend multiple times, each involving the suspicions of another woman. Or man, Keiko was not above accusing the spirit detective of that, especially since he had been spending more time with Kurama lately. Once or twice you tried to intervene for Yusuke, claiming that he loved Keiko and would never cheat. But she did not believe you and even suspected you too. After about the third or fourth time of being the brunt of false anger, you avoided their messy relationship whenever the topic arose. Yet you did lend a friendly ear whenever Yusuke needed to talk.

It had been several years since you moved from the U.S. to Japan, where you met the YYH group. Yusuke was impressed that you had spiritual powers of your own, even though they were not very developed. You could see ghosts and create barriers, even shove apparitions back from you, but nothing like Yusuke's Spirit Gun. Nonetheless the two of you became good friends, and he often joked about how into your school work you were. Kuwabara was very nice, funny as hell too. Hiei and Kurama were awesome, and you chomped at the bit to watch Hiei use his demonic speed. The toughest part was learning Japanese. They knew you were honestly trying, and Yusuke even bought an English language CD for himself. They helped you, and you helped who ever wanted to learn English. Hiei was reluctant at first, but when he found out how difficult English was, he became more eager to master it. Kurama caught on very quickly and soon wanted to talk only in English. Kuwabara's older sister Shizuru ordered her brother to learn from you. Yusuke, with the help of his language CD's was learning quickly as well. His girlfriend, Keiko, saw the change in Yusuke's demeanor towards actually learning something useful and immediately felt threatened.

The first time you met Keiko was not a good one. She had unexpectedly stopped by Genkai's temple where you were sitting on the roof top. And Yusuke was with you. And the two of you were alone and laughing together. Keiko had dashed into the nearby bushes and peered up at you. You were pretty, slim, and above all, American. Keiko knew the boys thought you exotic and so came out from behind the shrubs, her battle armor ready.

Yusuke saw his longtime girlfriend and jumped down. He was greeted not with a smile, but a harsh slap to the face. The look of surprise and shock you knew you had went unnoticed. The brown haired girl screamed and ranted at Yusuke, who clutched his cheek. You were still rusty on your Japanese, but you got the idea of what Yusuke and she were fighting about. Something like,

"American…foreigner…pretty…cheating!"

Quickly you denounced anything the angry girl thought by means of broken sentences and sign language. Surprisingly enough, Keiko spoke fluent English.

"Oh! I am sorry, I thought you and Yusuke-kun were dating."

"No~ No, just friends. Tomodachi."

That seemed to quell her anger, but you knew she still held you accountable.

That was two years ago now. Your Japanese and spiritual powers had become much stronger, and you were able to even stand against Genkai…for a good 5 seconds. It was a clear night at the temple when you arrived late from your job. You had started working alongside Botan as a currier for spirits. Koenma had noticed your prowess with them in helping them cross over and was impressed. He offered you a position, similar to a priestess, that paid very well. And, being a broke high-school senior, you jumped at the chance. But it was hard work, and at the end of your shift your back ached and all you wanted was a steaming dip in the bath. Luckily you did not mind the long walk back to the temple, for the pathway was plenty lit. Being so far removed from the city, only the stars and moon illuminated the sky. It was like a giant blue spot-light. You marveled at the sight before reaching the massive staircase just outside the old building. Begrudgingly you walked up the hundred steps to Genkai's temple. When you finally reached the top, tired and wobbly, you saw a familiar face. Yusuke was sitting in Genkai's living room, playing video games. Sliding the traditional temple door ajar, you took off your shoes and set your purse on the floor. Walking up to the entranced teen you became worried by the stark tear stains down his face.

"Hey Yusuke, what's up? What are you doing here?"

The black-haired teen did not answer.

"Hello~ Earth to Yusuke?"

Still nothing. So in English you said,

"Yusuke you ignorant prick stop ignoring me and tell me what you are doing here so late or I will cut your nuts off!"

At that, hearing the change in dialogue, Yusuke put down the controller and looked up at you with red, swollen chocolate eyes.

"You say something? I wasn't paying attention."

You rolled your eyes, "Yeah I noticed. What's wrong? You look like crap."

The spirit detective laughed and shut off the game. Stretching up his arms, Yusuke groaned at the painful pleasure and sat back on his hands.

"Eh, s'nothin. Same ol' shit. Just Keiko thinkin I'm cheating on her again. What else is new?"

Sighing deeply you chewed your lip, resigning to the thoughts of having to play therapist. But hey what else was new anyway? This constant turmoil happened all of the time. Keiko, you surmised, was one suspicious bitch. She treated Yusuke like dirt and always made it a point to remind him of his poor grades. This seemed humorous to you, seeing as he spent all of his time keeping the human world safe from destruction. That to you, was far more important than making sure your grades were applicable.

"Get up and come outside with me. We need to have a little chat."

You turned, your summer skirt twirling about your legs. You felt Yusuke's stare behind you, but chose to ignore it. You were used to guys checking you out. You had caught Yusuke a few times, but nothing happened. There was never a resounding slap or cruel insults. You took it for what it was. He was a man, who were you to deny him his natural instincts.

You sat under the overhanging roof, patting the spot beside you, "Sit."

The teen grunted and crawled on all fours over to you. He sat Indian-style, resting his hands on his ankles.

"Ok, so, tell me why Keiko has these feelings over and over again? And why would she stay with you if she did? I would drop the guy and never look back if I knew he was cheating on me."

Yusuke shrugged, "Beats the hell outta me. She is always accusing me of stuff."

"Mmmhmm. I know. But why? Yusuke…are you seeing someone else? I won't tell if you are. I will let you do that." You said in a low tone.

Yusuke looked up at the glowing moon, then back at you.

"Well, ugg, yes and no. I mean…I'm not ' seeing', seeing this girl. Well technically I am, but not that way. I mean I see her, but not going out with…you know what I mean?"

Raising your brow you nodded once, "I think I do. You could've said it much more simply. Like, no."

Yusuke laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah I guess so."

He then brought his hand to rest near yours. An action that did not warrant any surprise, until he said the following,

"But then, I would be lying because if I said no… I would not be seeing her right now."

"Huh?" You tilted your head.

The teen's deep brown eyes stared directly into yours. Usually it did not bother you, but this time you felt suddenly awkward. No guy had really looked at you that way. Slowly you shifted your bottom further away from him, inching back. But, to your dismay, Yusuke met your every move.

"Yu..Yusuke, c'mon now. What are you getting at?" You poorly joked.

Your back hit a partition, stopping you.

"All of the times Keiko suspected I liked another girl, they were right. As she usually is," the teen now had his arms on either side of your legs.

"Yusuke, stop. This is not funny!" You hissed frantically.

The teen grinned and kneeled before you, bringing his handsome face centimeters from yours. You half expected him to pull away and say that it was all a joke. But, deep down, you knew that he was not jesting. Your heart pounded in your ears, and you felt the blood rush to your face. His skin was tanned and smooth, like caramel. You could smell his shampoo and pomade.

"This isn't happening," you whispered.

"Well, I hate to break it to ya but it is."

Warm, soft lips covered your own. Your eyes bulged as you gaped at the spirit detective. You felt his deceptively gentle mouth glide over yours, moving your own lips in tune with his. It was as if time stopped. Never in a million years did you think Yusuke had a crush on you, let alone be kissing you. Your inner monologue was telling, no demanding, that you kiss him back. Your brain was telling you not to. But once Yusuke begged entrance, your monologue triumphed and you succumbed to his wishes. Slowly you let your eyelids drop, and opened your lips. The invading muscle wound its way inside, coaxing yours into play. Shifting to raise your arms, you encircled Yusuke's neck, tickling the velvety black hair.

The kiss was relaxing and full of emotion. Yusuke respected you, and did not try to overpower you. He was sweet and kind in his kiss. He kissed you like he had not seen you in years, wanting to savor every second.

You became playful; halting in your kisses, giggling as he teasingly pecked and enticed your lips. He kissed your top lip, effectively opening your mouth again. Yusuke's tongue darted in, tickling yours. You felt his strong hands grip your upper back as they slid between you and the wall. In one smooth gesture, Yusuke sat back and hoisted you to straddle his waist. You felt your skirt rise and expose your panties, the pink lace doing nothing against the night air. The rough denim of Yusuke's jeans rubbed your inner thighs, causing you to break your kiss and startle away.

"We shouldn't be doing this!" You gasped, fixing your skirt and coming to your senses.

Yusuke's chocolate eyes still held traces of desire. He watched you adjust and look away. "This is wrong. Keiko is your girlfriend Yusuke, we can't betray her like this."

You looked back at the Spirit Detective and frowned. Placing your hands on his chest, you pushed yourself away to rise.

"I don't know why I went along with it but forget this happened ok? As a matter of fact, this did not happen at all." You said getting up.

A sudden tug on the hem of your skirt made you freeze. The skirt itself threatened to fall down your legs if you proceeded any further.

"Be careful. One more move and the skirt flies off." Yusuke said with a grin.

You, on the other hand, were not grinning. "Damnit Yusuke, be an adult for once." You gripped his fingers and tried to pry them away.

"Nah. Being an adult is so fucking boring. Too many rules," he took your wrist. "I prefer being a sexually disgruntled teenager."

Yusuke pulled you down onto his lap. Sticking your hands out to brace your fall, you landed across his legs on all fours. A fierce blush rose when you did not feel your skirt brush the back of your thighs. Yusuke had yanked you with just enough force to leave your skirt above your hips, completely exposing your bottom half to the moonlight. Yusuke's hand rested on the swell of your hip, tugging on the lace.

"Heh, nice."

"Get off!" You swatted around to hit him.

The spirit detective avoided your swing and bent to place his lips upon your hip. The blush on your cheeks was blinding as you struggled to get free.

"Ya know, if you quit squirming around, this would be a hell of a lot easier." Yusuke huffed with a peevish grin.

You frowned and then, using your body as a weight, you shoved into the spirit detective. Yusuke fumbled backwards onto the floor, his head making a loud crack as it struck the polished wood. Momentarily worried for his well-being, you snapped into action and pushed yourself up. Lunging for the room, you slid onto the tatami mats and slid the door closed with a slam. Acting as brace, you prevented Yusuke from opening it. Your back slid down the panel, your chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Hey, (y/n) c'mon. Open the door." Yusuke called, his silhouette gesticulating.

You shook your head. "No. I will not. You need to stay outside until you can figure out what the hell is up with you!" You shakily spat.

Your heart fluttered like a bird in your ribcage. You could still taste him on your lips, his fresh pine scent apparent on your clothes. The flush burned now, and you fought back tears. Tears for what you half believed were betrayal. Yusuke had crossed the line between friendship and potential dating prospects. You trusted the black haired teen; you confided in him your secrets. And he to you. The two of you were almost like siblings, you were so close. To think that he just now kissed you, held in his arms, it burnt every bridge you both forged since you arrived in Japan. And so, you cried. You cried for that betrayal of trust, and yet you knew. Those tears were for something much deeper. Something that had been evolving within you for three years.

"Please, (y/n), please open the door." Yusuke asked.

You still said no.

"Look I'm sorry. I fucked up big time. I should not have done that at least without asking first." Yusuke rested his forehead against the shadow of your back. "But, I can't keep lying to myself or to Keiko. Not anymore."

You held your breath, your eyes staring ahead. Licking your lips, you gently asked what he meant. The answer made your throat go dry and the pounding in your chest painful.

"I'm not in love with Keiko. I never was. I mean, yeah we grew up as kids and we are great friends…but there was no love. Not for me. I went along with her dreams of us dating, but it just wasn't right," he brought his hand to caress the outline of your shoulder. "That's when you came. (y/n) when you came here, it was like a light turned on. I saw what I was missing with Keiko and I wanted it. But I knew that I couldn't tell you this, so I waited. I've waited three years."

You exhaled, a gust of air escaping your throat. "So, all of this time, of you being my friend, you were biding and planning on how to…what?...seduce me?"

"No that's not!- No. What was friendship grew into something bigger, huge."

You did not move. Palpable seconds passed before you even blinked. Yusuke waited for you to show signs of life, his brown eyes soft. The spirit detective sighed. He had envisioned this experience to be a much happier occasion. He expected you to leap into his arms and kiss him passionately, not shut yourself away. He was well aware of the possible loss of your friendship, but he did not care. He was determined and resolved to show you how he felt, regardless of the outcome.

"I don't want to hear this Yusuke!" You cried crouching forward. Burying your face into your hands, you resisted the storming emotions threatening to rip through. Yusuke heard your anguish and stood for it no longer. Balling his fists, Yusuke banged against the doors his own voice laden with urgency.

"Damnit (y/n) I love you! I want you to love me."

"I can't do this," You rose from your spot and went to leave. All you wanted to do was to simply return to the temple and take a soothing bath, not to have your feelings jostled about like a ragdoll. Yusuke saw your shadow and acted. With swift, precise movements, the spirit detective threw open the sliding doors and reached for you. Twisting around, you saw Yusuke wasting no time. The dark haired teen sprang, his arms grabbing your shoulders and pushing you back onto the tatami floors. The moonlight leaked into the room, fading from sight as it mingled with the electric lights. The sounds of your combined weight grappling to the ground were sure to catch Genkai's attention, yet she remained hidden in the temple complex. Yusuke looked down at you, his lithe body hovering over yours. His hands held your wrists securely to the floor and his legs were positioned on either side of your thighs.

"Y…Yusuke…" The frightened shine in your eyes did not go unnoticed. Yusuke internally winced about how forceful he seemed, but that was how he was. Yusuke had never really done anything with gentility; it was always strength, power and brute force.

Inside, Yusuke apologized for his actions. You had not the time to blink before his mouth covered yours. Trying to fight back, you pushed upwards against his hands which only tightened around your wrists. The heat from his grip paled in comparison to the intensity of his lips.

'Why am I not putting up more of a struggle? I want him off of me! But―,' Yusuke opened his mouth, his lips gently pushing yours apart. A warmth began to simmer in your belly and you lowered your eyelids. 'But―I can't fight him.'

Yusuke's weight settled against your body, and you blushed as his chest pressed down on yours. With a subtle tilt, Yusuke took more of your mouth into his. The scents of pine and rainwater wafted heavily between you and you felt yourself relaxing under him. Yusuke then, sensing your change in demeanor, released your wrists and slowly slid his hands down your forearms. His calloused palms ran over yours and you instinctively spread your fingers. Yusuke gently pulled away from your lips, leaving you slightly breathless. You hazily stared into his chocolate pools, unsure of what he was going to do next. Lacing fingers broke your gaze and you turned your head to see your hand caged with his. Yusuke bent his head to nuzzle the expansion of your neck, placing tender kisses here and there. You inadvertently shivered as the goose-pimpled flesh of your neck was cloaked by the spirit detective's teasing lips.

The heat in your belly grew to flow into your legs and hips. Yusuke gave your ear a playful bite causing you to shift under him. You halted and flushed red when your hip connected with something firm. Above you, Yusuke gasped into your ear, a sound that flared the fires coursing through you.

"Should we stop? I don't want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. If you want me to stop, just say yes." Yusuke's voice was breathy and restrained with lust.

You faced him with a look of mild surprise. Your lips were a breadth away from each other's and you inhaled his scent. Without thinking of the consequences, you lifted your head to recapture his mouth. Yusuke widened his eyes.

"I don't want you to stop, Yusuke. I just don't think I'm ready for―you know…that." You said hoping that he would still be interested.

"Just tell me something. Do you have any feelings for me at all?" Yusuke's brown eyes searched for the answer he hoped you would give deep within your (e/c) pools.

Of course you had feelings for the dark haired teen. You have ever since you saw him. The idea that he was with Keiko, though, put those feelings on the backburner. So you became friends with him instead and you enjoyed his company. You nearly forgot your previous affections for him, such good friends you were. You never imagined, again, that Yusuke would have a crush on you. You were so unlike Keiko. She was small, pale, and the ideal of Asian beauty. She had delicate almond eyes and silky long brown hair. She was slender and willowy compared to you. You looked like an Amazon next to Keiko. Not that you were large, but you stood easily five inches taller. You were slim, but had more of a shapely figure, with full breasts and hips. Your hair was (fill in the blank). Your face was composed of bow shaped lips, a pert nose, and sultry (e/c) eyes. The two of you were at opposite ends of the spectrum. You were loud, she was quiet; you liked guy activities, whereas she did more feminine things. Yet Yusuke never looked at Keiko as he did to you now, tender and sweet.

Yusuke awaited your response. So, inhaling deeply you said, "To be honest Yusuke…you grew on me."

Yusuke processed what you said and achieved a large grin. Smiling he chuckled and kissed you again, pushing your head back onto the floor and making you arch your neck to reach him, subsequently pressing his hips into yours. You felt his hardness and maneuvered your hips to meet him.

"Nothing below the belt. I promise."

You smiled up at the spirit detective and said, "Look Yusuke, about how I reacted earlier, I'm sorry. I was just not expecting…" you were cut short by the familiar hot mouth.

"It's fine. I get it. You were freaked, you had every right to be." Yusuke said. "But it's over between me and Keiko."

With that, you welcomed Yusuke to you, relishing in the feel of him. From beyond the open door, Genkai smirked to herself, 'Jeeze Yusuke, it's about time.'


	2. Chapter 2: Afterwards

Sequel to Moonlight Confessions

After Yusuke's surprising confession of love for you, your relationship had evolved from simple friendship. Of course you two kept it as quiet as possible, at least in front of Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei. You had asked the spirit detective why he wanted to keep it a secret, Yusuke replied, "Because, they wouldn't get it. Not yet. Let me think of a way I can break it to the guys that Keiko and I are done."

You understood his hesitation and respected his wishes. The two of you acted totally normal in the group. You joked, teased, and sparred with Yusuke as if that night had never happened. There was a time when you thought for sure Kurama had figured it out. He could probably smell the change in Yusuke's pheromones or something. But, when the red-head said nothing, you breathed with ease. A few times Kuwabara thought he noticed a change in his friend/rival. To which Yusuke would say, "Jeeze Kuwabara, ya really gotta' lay off whatever your smoking. I'm still the same as always you dumbass."

The common aftermath would involve some sort of tussle, with Yusuke winning and Kuwabara seething.

All in all though, the weeks and months passed by well. No secrets were revealed, no one suspected anything. They did notice that Keiko stopped hanging with them.

"Yeah, she's busy with schoolwork. That's Keiko, always studying." Yusuke chimed slightly nervous.

"Not surprising. By the way Yusuke, how's your English coming?" Kurama interjected one day at Genkai's temple.

You turned to the black haired teen and raised a brow. Asking in English you said, "Yeah Yusuke. How's it going?"

Yusuke glared at your smirking face. "I hate studying for anything. You all know that, or should by now. Otherwise your observation skills suck."

You laughed and swung a friendly arm around the teen's shoulders. "Well, Ya know Yusuke, I am American. I can help you if you're struggling with it?"

Yusuke got a peevish grin. "If I get an answer right will you strip tease me?"

You flushed and smacked the back of his head. "Be serious!"

Kurama chuckled. "I'd take her up on her offer Yusuke. She could really improve your speaking skills."

With you leaning heavily onto his side, nearly knocking him over, Yusuke thought. After a few seconds, the spirit detective sighed and threw his hand up in surrender.

"Fine! Teach me English then."

You laughed and ruffled his slicked hair. The teen tucked his head and ran quick fingers on your side, causing you to cry out hysterically and shoot away from him. Watching the scene, but oblivious to the closeness you two shared, Kuwabara muttered under his breath.

"I wish she would teach me English."

Yusuke heard his friend and said, "well, she can't."

"Aw c'mon Urameshi. I can't borrow her for like I don't know, a few months or something?" The red headed teen pleaded.

Yusuke took slight offence to his friend calling you something to borrow and answered heatedly, "No."

"It's not like you own her Urameshi. I'm not asking Keiko because I think me asking your girlfriend to teach me is a bit weird."

Yusuke frowned. "Keiko? Where did that come from? Go ask her and see if she will. But for right now, (y/n) is going to teach me."

You heard what they were arguing about and came back over. "I won't teach you if you act like a child though Yusuke." You turned to Kuwabara, "Sorry Kazuma, but maybe after Yusuke I can give you a few pointers."

This earned you a pleased smile from the other teen. Yusuke, on the other hand, was irritated.

Following Week:

You and Yusuke arraigned to meet at his apartment to go over the subject matter. It was relatively quiet and had a nice view of the city. Yusuke made tea while you set up the materials on his living room floor. The small coffee table served as a desk for your books, notebooks, pens, and flashcards. Making sure everything needed was there, you smiled and waited for you pupil. Yusuke, with two steaming mugs in his hands, came over and sat next to you.

"Ok, now tell me exactly what you already know and we'll work from there. How does that sound?" You asked blowing on the hot liquid.

"Ok."

One Hour Later:

You watched as Yusuke filled out the worksheets you gave him. They were simple sentences. At first Yusuke was flustered that you gave him a child's workbook. But when you told him that he had to learn it from the ground up, he became less reluctant. Especially after you said that Kurama did the same thing.

"Really?" Yusuke asked genuinely shocked.

"Yes. No one can master a language right away, unless they're a genius. Even the best minds in the world began from scratch at some point in their lives." You flipped to an unmarked page. It was on part of the human body.

"Ok, now this scene is in s doctor's office. Use the instructions and put together sentences that tell the doctor what's wrong," You explained. "Like for example, 'my throat hurts. I think I'm sick.'"

You pointed to your neck for emphasis. With a small glare, Yusuke did what you instructed. You watched for any word, grammar, or spelling mistakes. As he wrote, the teen felt your body heat against his skin. The smell of your Chanel perfume floated into his nose, unintentionally distracting him. While you showed him his mistakes with a red pen, his chocolate eyes glanced downwards at your blouse. The red fabric buttoned down the front of the Oxford shirt, the collar open to expose your throat, collar bones and upper chest. His eyes went lower. Your jeans were tight to your legs, much to the fashion in the States.

"Yusuke, are you paying attention?" You questioned when you saw he was unresponsive to your tips.

"Huh? Yes! I am."

"Really? What did I just say?"

Yusuke paused and gave a simple grin. "The hell if I know."

You sighed and reached for your bag. Inside was an eraser. You bent forwards, bringing your body closer to the spirit detective. Yusuke saw the outline of your bra beneath the fabric of your shirt and mused about its color.

"Alrightly then…Let's try something different. An actual conversation."

You erased two pages in the book, and wrote down a scenario for discussion.

"Now, Yusuke, I'll talk first, then you."

Kneeling to face him, you held the book and started. As you spoke, Yusuke's chocolate pools watched you; the way your throat moved, your hair over your shoulder, the gentile way your hands held the book. Inside, his heart sped and his face flushed. Blood pumped throughout, he felt it reach the tips of his fingers and toes. He wanted desperately to kiss you then. How unassuming you were, how at ease. Your scent, your presence, it drove him mad. The fact that you were in his home, alone, fueled his raging thoughts about you. There was no one to interfere. There was no one to hide from there. When you stopped and looked up to listen, he slowly took the book from you. You felt the intensity from his gaze. It was hypnotic how quickly you succumbed to those dark pools. A blush rose from your chest. Yusuke watched as the reddened skin spread up your neck and to your face.

The spirit detective set the book down without a word and reached for you. His strong arm circled your waist and pulled you closer to him. Rising on your knees you moved to him, coming to straddle his lap. Your legs framed his hips as you sat on his thighs. The teen rested his hand on your cheek, bringing your mouth to his. You felt the softness of his lips and returned the kiss. Yusuke tilted his head to better capture your mouth. Your fingers rose to run through his hair, holding him to you effectively.

The fervency with which Yusuke kissed you alerted you to how much keeping your relationship secret affected him. His tongue stroked yours, winding around and under it. His kiss was hot and seductive. It was languid and deliciously slow. Both unwilling to pull away, you breathed heavily through your nose as Yusuke hoisted you up and placed you onto your back. Landing with a soft thump, you let out low moans of satisfaction. The spirit detective rested his body between your legs, his firm chest against yours. As Yusuke continued to kiss you, your hands gripped onto his shoulders and back. The cloth of his t-shirt wrinkled under your fingers, exposing his back to the apartment air. The goose-bumps rising along his flesh heightened his desires for you.

Bringing a hand to your chest, the teen cupped your breast. The warmth of his hand filtered through your shirt and bra, heating the tender flesh. Breaking away from his lips, you arched back into the floor. Your face had the hue of flushed arousal, something that Yusuke's pride celebrated. With your neck now bare, the black haired teen lowered his head to assault the expanse of skin. You moaned aloud as his lips fastened onto the pulsating vein. Yusuke licked, bit, and sucked on your neck. You felt your skin between his lips, felt the motions of his mouth pulling carefully then releasing. His hand on your breast kneaded the flesh masterfully. Wanting to be closer, you raised your legs over his hips and hooked your ankles together. The pressure of your limbs encircling his waist ushered Yusuke to press into you. You felt his growing need against your inner thighs. The spirit detective began to kiss your chest, moving his hands away from your breast to undo the tiny buttons of your shirt.

"Y…Yusuke!" You breathed. "Wait."

Your feeble plead fell on deaf ears as the teen planted kissed over your chest and breasts. Your bra was black, much to Yusuke's delight. Suddenly he sat back. Reaching his arms under, he pulled his shirt off with lustful frustration, flinging it across the room. The sight of his bare and muscular torso made you reach up for him.

"Oh screw it!" You said and laughed when he grinned.

Just as the two of you resumed your activities, Yusuke's apartment door opened. The sound jolted the both of you upright. Yusuke, rightly upset spun around only to stop.

"K…Keiko."


	3. Chapter 3: What Now?

The street before you blurred with salty tears as you walked aimlessly along.

You had left Yusuke's apartment in such a flurry that Keiko couldn't get a word into you edgewise. You were so humiliated! To be caught in such a compromising position with Yusuke, by his girlfriend no less, was unbearable. So, you left. As you walked further and further from the apartment you heard possibly the most dangerous argument erupt.

Racing onto the street, you folded your arms against the chilly September night and held back your cries. You refused to cry over another man. Before, you would have bawled at being so mislead. But now you held back. You had been betrayed before in "relationships." Your last boyfriend hurt you terribly. A fact that even you hated to admit. No one else knew what had happened. It was around then that your spirit powers began to manifest. That's what brought you here to Japan. Koenma had discovered you in America using your abilities at random and saw your potential. If it had not been for him, you would never had fallen for Yusuke Urameshi and be put into this friggin predicament.

"Damn you Koenma!" You cursed to yourself.

Inside, you felt your powers bubble in your chest. Training with Genkai had taught you to control them, but after tonight you wanted nothing more than to let loose. You felt your aura flam out around you. Thankfully no one else you passed by saw it. That didn't hide the fact that no matter what inanimate object you went by, mailboxes, street signs, fences, all ended up concaved and twisted.

Into the night you wandered with no real destination. All you wanted to do was to get away from that sneaky lying ass Yusuke. How dare he not tell Keiko that he was done? He made you no better than a mistress by not telling her. That you would not stand for. Never. You were either _the one_, or none at all. It was nearing 11 when you finally stopped in front of a modest looking home on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was two stories with a private drive surrounded by tall trees. The lights in what you assumed was the living room and den were on. The plaque on the entrance gate had writing on it, but it was difficult to see. You got closer and, squinting your eyes, tried to make out what the engravings said.

They read Minamino Residence.


	4. Chapter 4: Freedom?

"Yusuke how could you do this!?" Keiko screamed.

The spirit detective was at a loss.

"Say something you idiot!"

Yusuke looked sadly at Keiko, his childhood friend, and said, "I'm sorry."

Keiko shook her head and ran over to him. Balling her fists she hit his chest, his face, and his stomach. "You bastard! I loved you and you betrayed me!"

Yusuke let her hit him. She sobbed and shook while she continued to rant.

"Do you love her?"

Yusuke's heart pained him then. He realized just what he had done by not telling Keiko it was over sooner. He was leading her on as much as you. He felt disgusted with himself and racked his mind on how to quickly settle this fiasco.

"Keiko, listen to me," he gently pried her off of him and looked her square in the eyes. "This relationship we have, it's not working. It hasn't for a while now. I tried to tell you but, I don't know. No time seemed right."

The girl breathed heavily. "You wanted to break up with me? For her?"

Yusuke blinked and sighed. "Yes. I love you Keiko, but I love you like a sister."

Keiko computed what he told her and let more tears fall. "A sister…"

"I never meant to hurt you."

He went to embrace her, but she shoved him away. "Don't. Don't touch me Yusuke. I need time to figure this out. So-, be happy cause now we are officially done. Go on. Go to her. You two deserve each other."

Yusuke's face darkened at her remark. The teen's protectiveness towards you flared no matter who slanted your person. Keiko was no exception. "Watch what you say Keiko. I won't hear you badmouthing her in front of me. Understand?"

Keiko stood in shock. "Are you threatening me Yusuke?"

The spirit detective straightened his back. "No. Just informing."

The girl stared hard at her ex. Rage, hurt and sorrow swirled in her eyes. "I see."

When she was gone, Yusuke slumped onto the floor, his arms on his knees. Hanging his head low, the teen felt like screaming. How messed up was his luck that his ex would walk in on his new interest. Shame cloaked him and he sat alone for a long while unsure of what to do next.


	5. Chapter 5: Confllicting Emotions

Chapter 5

You mouthed the kanji symbols on the plaque for a second time: Shuichi Minamino…Kurama…You could always talk to him about anything. The red headed fox was more than willing to help you when you needed it in the past-why not now? Surely he had advice for this kind of thing.

But then you stopped yourself. Did you honestly want to drag Kurama into this mess? It would be useless to lie, he could read your facial expressions like a CIA spy hunter. So, then what? You would not return to Yusuke's apartment…at least not tonight. You needed space. There was no one you could turn to in reality…except maybe Koenma. He didn't care either way about Keiko but the others at least knew her. Kazuma might be pissed at you and Yusuke (though more towards Yusuke because of his honor code towards women). And Hiei…well…Hiei had his own code and detested betrayers and liars. Not that he would hurt you but you did not want to take the chance.

And the girls, Botan, Shizuru, and Yukina would take Keiko's side. So, sighing loudly and tiredly, you backed away from the Minamino house and kept walking. You walked for miles in the dark, cold and frustrated.

You were walking back to Genkai's. You knew Genkai liked you, being another girl fighter with exceptional spiritual potential, and so placed your tiny hopes on her. After walking for hours, you finally reached the street entrance to her compound. You looked back and frowned when the glittering lights of Tokyo could no longer be seen. To you, the trek had been a walk of shame. You felt shame for cavorting with a taken guy. You felt shame keeping the secret from your friends. You felt shame when Keiko caught you with her BOYFRIEND. You let out an anguished moan and slapped your hands to your face.

"How could this have happened?" You lamented behind your icy fingers. "How am I going to face everyone again? Keiko by now has told the girls, who will tell the guys tomorrow. I can't face that."

You wiped away warm tears that slowly fell from your eyes.

As you ascended the many steps to Genkai's temple, you let yourself cry. The enormous stress of the situation, of what was to come in the future, of the peace of the past, flooded out of you. The trees were your comfort, listening quietly as you sobbed.

Several times your spirit energy threatened to come out to bend and contort Genkai's property. However, you held back knowing she would not approve, which only added to the mounting pressure in your head.

When you reached the final step, a dark figure deftly came closer. You knew who it was and you tensed, ready to defend yourself.

"Hn. There's no need to bristle human. You were causing such a damnable racket that I came to silence you."

Hiei grumbled in his short-sentenced way.

You eyed the smaller demon and smacked your hands against your legs in exasperation.

"Silence me Hiei? Good Lord. Why are you here?"

The red-eyed demon blinked slowly almost lizard-like. "Not that I owe you an explanation but Koenma sent me."

"Koenma?" You asked.

"That spoiled child thinks he can hold my parole over my head."

" Oh so, that's why you're here. To win brownie points?"

The fire demon gave you a curious look. "Brownie points?"

"It's an expression where I come from. Forget it."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Look, Yusuke told us everything. Koenma ordered me to find you to make sure you were fine."

You felt the angry blush rise. "Well, how nice of him. I am fine Hiei. Never better."

The little demon sensed your anger and smirked. "I can feel your spirit energy. Under Genkai you've gotten stronger. You should be focusing on becoming even more powerful. Why do you care what those measly fools think?"

"I don't care."

"You forget I can read your mind. There's no use in hiding it."

Biting your lips, you balled your fists at your sides. "What should I do then Hiei?"

The fire demon shrugged and turned to leave. "Do what you want. But backing down is a cowards way."

For a longtime you stood there thinking over Hiei's words. He was right. To just hide was cowardly. You had to rediscover that good ole' American outlook of "I don't give a fuck what you think." (stereotype insert). It was what drew Yusuke to you in the first place. Taking a few deep breaths, you centered your thoughts and stood tall and proud.

"Jeeze. I guess I have to settle this with Yusuke."

Giving a lasting glance to the temple, you resolved yourself to turn away and retreat back down the many stone steps.

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````Lonely darkness enveloped the city apartment as Yusuke stared at the wall clock in his kitchen, duly watching the seconds eek by. Each tick of the clock was torture to his ears. What a mess his life had become. Keiko saw him with you and stormed out. Desperate, Yusuke quickly called Kurama, Kuwabara, and Koenma to tell them the events of the night before Keiko could distort the truth. As such, Koenma told Botan, who told Shizuru, who told Yukina. So now everyone knew your secret.

The spirit detective was soon bombarded with texts and calls all questioning and accusing. The teen turned off his phone and threw it across his living room. When he heard it shatter, Yusuke growled and struck his wall, leaving a fist-sized hole in the sheetrock. With throbbing knuckles, the black haired detective seated himself on the floor facing his apartment door. He knew he should have gone after you, but thought against it. The look in your eyes told him to stay away.

Gripping his slicked hair, Yusuke threw himself back against the wall. Never in his life did his heart hurt as it did now. Maybe your relationship was doomed from the start: Yusuke had acted first, causing you to pull away and now this fiasco.

Dammnit!, He thought. What the fuck am I going to do!?

When his door suddenly creaked open without so much as a knock, the despairing teen hopped to his feet in anger.


	6. Chapter 6: Settlement

Chapter 6

You stood still and watched as the once taught and tense body of the spirit detective softened upon seeing you. His large brown eyes seemed both glad and ashamed to see you standing in his doorway.

"Why did you come back? To kick my ass?" He said glaring at the floor.

You were already too tired both mentally and physically to bicker back and forth. Closing your (e/c) eyes, you sagged your shoulders low.

"If I had the energy, Yusuke, I would tear you apart for humiliating me like that. But luckily for you I'm this close to dropping to the ground. My feet hurt and I need to crack my back like no one's business. I have a pounding headache and all that stems from the fact that you, my dear detective, hid this from Keiko." You calmly stated.

Yusuke furrowed his brows together. "I broke it off with her. For real. And I called everyone and told them."

"I know. Hiei told me."

The teen's head rose and his chocolate eyes were softer. "They seemed to take it ok I guess. Kuwabara was pissed, but that's just him."

You shrugged your shoulders. "Whatever. I don't care anymore. Look Yusuke, I don't expect you to beg forgiveness…it's not your style. And I wouldn't ask it of you. But what I do want is honesty."

The dark haired teen jolted. "And I'm being honest. Keiko will never talk to me again, I'm sure. And I am sorry that this got so far out of hand. What can I do to make it up to you?"

Despite your attempt at being cold and uncaring, hearing his smooth voice give a slight quiver made your stomach clench. Yusuke was a powerful fighter and a proud man. To hear him want to repent was very interesting to you. You did not want gifts, or flowers. No, if Yusuke was to show you how sorry he was, there was only one thing you wanted from him:

"I want to battle you Yusuke. You and Me."

The spirit detective attracted such a look of shock that it brought you satisfaction.

"Really? That's what you want?" He asked coming too.

With a firm nod, you agreed. "Yes. It's the only way you know how to solve anything. So, in two days, we will test our strength and Genkai's training. If I can beat you, then you will be forgiven. But I will not forgive you if you let me win. This will be an honest fight between to warriors."

The more you spoke of fights and strength, the more Yusuke regained his old composure and vigor. A grin crept its way to his mouth and he planted secure hands on his hips.

"Fine. Two days. Where?"

"The old field near the bridge."

Yusuke raised a brow. The rising sun behind him made you squint to see, making his face seem all the more haughty.

"Why there?"

"Because I want to spare you the embarrassment of losing in front of Kuwabara and Hiei."

With that said you turned on your heel and left the spirit detective alone for the second time.


	7. Chapter 7: Face Off

Chapter 7

The sky had turned a dismal grey when Yusuke arrived, the clouds rolled high and filled with rain. You stood a good distance away from the spirit detective, watching him approach. Dressed in lightweight clothing, Yusuke was prepared to spar against you. Likewise dressed, you ran fight sequences around in your mind. You knew how passionately he fought and how hungry he was to come out victorious. Yet you were determined to not let him succeed, you were determined for a lack of better terms, to kick his ass.

"Bout time you showed, Yusuke. And here I almost thought you were too afraid to face a woman." You taunted, loving his reaction.

"I don't care who it is, when I fight, I fight." The teen frowned.

In the distance, thunder rumbled and a cool breeze swept across the vacant field. It was the perfect spot. Little exposure to others outside and far enough away from anything that could get damaged. You wanted to teach Yusuke a lesson not level the city.

"I won't hold back Yusuke," You said readying yourself. "I've got a lot of motivation behind me."

The teen too took a fighting stance with spread legs and poised arms.

"I won't hold back either. Just as you said."

"Good."

You waited not for him to respond when you lunged forward. Dirt sprung up from your heel as you raced towards him. Keeping your face cold and stern, you ignored the cold wind biting at your nose and ears. Raising your right fist, you swung out to hit.

Yusuke saw this naturally and darted out of the way. Spinning round, he came about and arched his left leg. In a perfect semi-circle, the teen pivoted to strike you in the gut. Thinking quickly, you leapt into the air and made an elegant backflip as his leg slid under you.

"Heh, Nice!" Yusuke said. The thrill was growing in his eyes. "It this what you mean when you say "I'll go ghetto on your ass!?"

You growled back at the jab to one of your American inside jokes.

"No, let me show you exactly what that means!"

Coming onto the ground, you unleashed a series of punches and kicks to the dark-haired teen. Yusuke defended himself, crossing his arms in front of him.

The spirit detective deflected your assaults not without strain. Sweat beaded on his temples and his fore-arms began to throb. As much as he hated to admit, you were a more formidable opponent than he thought. Endlessly, you attacked. Your legs aiming for his torso, hips, and knees; your fists went after his head, ears and belly.

Yusuke promised you that he would put up an equal fight, but watching you pummel him with such strength and force, seeing the anger and disappointment in your eyes made him pause. He slowly began to realize just what it was that he did to you. He had done more than embarrass you. He had almost destroyed your only friendships in this foreign country. You had worked so hard in Japan, both in training and in your social life and he nearly took that away.

"Stop stalling and fight back!" You yelled jumping back to gather your spirit energy.

Yusuke broke the X he had created with his arms and made to get out of the way of your attack. Almost hitting dead on, you unleashed a mass of white energy. You did not want to name your attacks, as you thought that it was a little odd, but you did so in your head.

'White Arrow Assault!'

Splitting into many spears of light, your energy shot towards the teen with the speed of many arrows. Yusuke hated this attack. The energy arrows were designed to follow the opponent like heat-seekers. Yusuke would have to counter-attack in order to repel them. Using his Shot Gun attack, he met each of your arrows with his spirit bullets. Bright collisions of blue and white energy electrified the grey field. Claps of kinetic force sounded as both attacks were negated.

Growling in frustration, you ran to the side and aimed another attack, this one stronger.

Holding your arms out wide, you gathered more energy. The warm, white light enfold you. Then, as if to squeeze the mass before you, you brought your arms in. With internal force, you shoved the glowing orb. When you did not feel the ground beneath your feet, you knew you were levitating as a result of this attack. This was another thing Yusuke hated, or rather was envious of. You, unlike the other fighters with the exception of the wind master Jin, were able to fly. Only, unlike Jin you did not rely on wind but your own spiritual power. This ability was one of the reasons Koenma brought you to Genkai.

This made battling you very tedious and difficult. When he first saw this, Yusuke believed you were telekinetic. After Koenma and Genkai told him that it was not telekinesis, but a rare type of spirit energy similar to the phenomena, the teen avoided fighting with you. Yet it made you an invaluable part of their team.

Now, faced with this hurtling attack, Yusuke propelled himself into the air, his clothes singing as the light passed under him. Looking down, he saw the deep fissure left behind in the earth. He landed, trying not to trip in the crevice.

You still remained in the air, your body taught and straight. The spirit detective breathed heavily now, his endurance being tested.

" (y/n)! Another attack like that and you'll kill me!" Yusuke yelled pointing his index finger at you.

"Spirit Gun!"

Seeing the bullet of blue energy coming at you, you quickly raised a barrier around you. It worked in keeping you safe, but the strain of keeping it up made you lose concentration. You fell back to the ground, landing on your side.

Fighting the urge to see if you were alright, Yusuke Sent out another strike. The blue lights swirled towards you and you stiffened. Just when it seemed too late, you rose up into the air. Yusuke saw that you were unharmed and sighed in relief. He did not want to hurt you. In truth, he wanted to end this, but knew that you two were too evenly matched.

" (y/n), let's stop this. This is pointless!"

At that, you felt one last surge of insult. Pointless? This was pointless to him? You glared down at him and he swallowed. Yusuke's large chocolate eyes shone with worried expectation.

And he had every right to feel that way. You whirled around and raised your right palm. The power that emitted from it illuminated the entire field. When it quelled, Yusuke was several hundred feet away and prone on the ground. The strike happened so fast, Yusuke had no time to defend. When you saw him lying there, you let out an anguished sigh. You had won.

When he did not get up, you felt pangs of concern stab at your chest.

"Yusuke!? Yusuke!"

Flying over to him, you planted your feet on the ground and knelt next to him.

By the time he came too, you had brought him back to his apartment. Rain pelted the windows and thrummed on the roof.

Pools of chocolate brown lazily opened and searched left to right. They rested on your hovering form over the bedside. Worry was written on your face.

Yusuke hated seeing that look in your eyes and so tried to extinguish it. With a pained grin, he roughly said:

"Heh, looks like really did kick my ass."

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, you did both.

"Yusuke! I'm just glad I didn't kill you! When you didn't move…!" You let tears fall onto the bed.

Yusuke felt your sadness and so raised a hand from under the covers. Bringing his hand up, the detective cupped your cheek. You closed your eyes as the warm and calloused palm soothed your sobs. His caramel skin smelled of earth and energy.

"Hey, c'mon don't cry. I'm fine. And I owe you an apology."

Yusuke's voice was low and comforting. It was a voice that made you want to be closer to him.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was completely fucked up of me. I promise, it will never happen again."

You blushed from the sincerity in his timber. Touching his hand, you held it to your face and nodded.

"I trust you."

Yusuke smiled at you and used his thumb to wipe away stray tears.

"Come here."

Feeling his hand gently pull you down, you pushed the blanket aside and slid next to him. Bringing the covers back up around you, you settled beside the spirit detective.

Yusuke placed his left hand to the small of your back and pulled you closer to him. Holding you tightly, you relaxed into his chest. Yusuke felt your body soften and bent his head to kiss the top of yours.

"You know, for a second I thought you would not come back," he said into your hair.

Smiling, you shifted nearer. "I almost didn't. Then you'd really be screwed huh?"

Yusuke chuckled and held you close. "Yeah, I guess."

Within minutes the two of you fell into a fitful sleep, both safe and wrapped in each other's embrace.


	8. Chapter 8: A Day of Meaning

Chapter 8

The sun was strong when you fluttered your eyes open. You did not know nor care what time it was. The only thing that mattered was that you were in Yusuke's bed, surrounded by his masculine scent. Nuzzling your pillow, you inhaled more of his natural smell; spicy with a hint of citrus. Letting out a low moan, you reached to your side, hoping to find him still sleeping next to you. Instead, what you discovered was an empty space. This caused you to groggily raise your head and squint. Yusuke was not there. Frowning you rolled over onto your back in a rush of sheets.

Giving yourself a nice long stretch you spent 15 seconds readying yourself to get up. Once a bit more roused, you removed the light sheet and sat on the edge of the bed. With light shoves of your palms, you stood erect (or as erect as you would be in the morning) and trudged to the kitchen.

"Yusuke," you sleepily called while rubbing your face. "What are you doing?"

You entered the small kitchen and saw, to your amusement, Yusuke whisking what looked like eggs in a silver bowel.

"Aw dammnit. I was hoping to have this ready for you before you got up," he huffed with a grin.

Your lips curved into a half-smile. "You were making breakfast in bed?"

The teen poured the yellow mix into a sizzling pan. The eggs cooked right up once in contact with the heat, Yusuke deftly sprinkling cheese, peppers, and bits of bacon.

"I guess it's just plain breakfast. Hope you like omelets."

You smiled fully now and felt the blush rise. Tucking hair behind your ear, you sassily said, "I'm surprised you can cook."

Yusuke eyed you, the slick spatula inches away from the cooking mixture. "I'm full of surprises. You just don't know it yet. But you slept like the dead, I didn't think it was possible. Only Kuwabara sleeps that soundly. Those attacks must've totally wiped you out."

"Mmhmm. They did. Uggg, is there coffee?"

Yusuke pointed to the dripping pot to his left. "Might need to heat it up. I made it thinking you'd be awake earlier."

You ignored Yusuke and went over to the brown liquid as if it were God. Opening a cabinet, you took a mug and filled it with coffee. Taking a few quick swigs, you walked past Yusuke to the fridge, got the cream, passed him and poured it into your mug, and then returned the cream to the fridge without saying a word. Until you had your coffee, you really did not talk a whole lot in the morning.

Setting the cup into the microwave, you pushed HIGH and watched the mug turn on the rotating dish. Needless to say, you were a little zombiefied in the a.m. When the microwave dinged, you retracted the now steaming cup and gingerly sipped its savory contents. Taking a seat on his couch, you placed your feet on his coffee table, trying not to recall when Keiko walked in on you three nights ago.

"Mmmmm, that's better." You hummed into the steam.

A chuckled was heard near the stove. "you treat that coffee as if it were keeping you alive."

You snorted and lazily eyed his back. "It does keep me alive."

Still laughing, Yusuke turned and approached with two full plates of delicious omelet.

"Yusuke, you didn't have to do this," You said taking the food being offered to you.

"I wanted to." He said and handed you a fork.

Putting your coffee down on the table top, you sat up and relaxed into the couch cushions. Taking a bite, you closed your eyes and melted at the taste. It was wonderfully seasoned and cooked. The bacon added extra flavor, proving it to be true that everything is better with bacon. Yusuke sat opposite you on the floor, feeling satisfied and happy you enjoyed his cooking. Keiko often criticized his culinary skills, as her family owned a restaurant.

" Oh my God Yusuke, this is great!" you breathed.

The dark-haired teen grinned and ate, "Glad you like it. Now, I want to talk to you about something."

You looked up at him and cocked a brow. "Oh?"

The spirit detective set his fork down with a light clink and came round on his knees. You tried not to giggle as Yusuke shuffled over and removed your plate of half-eaten omelet. Taking your hands in his larger ones, Yusuke locked you with his deep cocoa gaze.

"About Keiko, I know I told you it was officially over between us…and it is! I'm not saying that it's not. But I just want to make this right between you and me. So today we'll do whatever you want. I just want to you know (y/n), that I am sorry for putting you through that and that I will never do it again—I promise you."

Yusuke touched your cheek and bent to kiss the tops of your hands. Your heart sped in your chest. Warm feelings stirred in your stomach as you reached down to embrace the detective. Wrapping arms around his neck, you held him tightly to you.

"Thank you Yusuke. I'll hold you to that promise."

The dark-haired teen's arms found their way around your back, cradling you like a doll. His face was pressed against your neck, your skin teasing his senses. The spirit detective moved his lips to brush the sensitive flesh below your jaw. Kisses were planted; soft kisses traced your collar bones and neckline. Yusuke's solution to your wriggling was to gently grasp the back of your head and hold you to his eager mouth.

"Yusuke, stop," You said albeit weakly.

The spirit detective grunted and moved to push you back onto the sofa. With his hands braced on either side of you, sinking into the soft cushions, he hovered above. You stared up at him. Yusuke was bent over you his russet pools darkened by sudden desire.

"Yusuke?"

"You are so beautiful. I was so stupid!" He said in a disparaging whisper.

"Yusuke, stop. We shouldn't be doing this now," You stupidly tried to reason.

"No. I won't stop. I want you!" He swooped down to capture you into a kiss.

Luckily you turned your head and angled away. Yusuke growled in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

You eased up onto your elbows and gave his cheek a quick kiss.

"Yusuke, we can't make out on the couch so early in the morning. For one, I haven't brushed my teeth. And two I need a shower."

You had maneuvered out from under him, your belly now close to his face. The spirit detective noticed the bare skin peaking from beneath your battle shirt from the previous day and attacked. Gripping your hips, he buried his face into your stomach, kissing and nipping. You hated when he did this for your belly was extremely ticklish. You laughed uproariously. Squirming violently now, you fumbled in pushing him away.

"Yusuke! Hahahahaha! YUSUKE!" You panted between outbursts.

"I don't care. My teeth are dirty too. And I reek! Why waste showers when we can both get in one later?"

Again you laughed. "Ewwww! C'mon, get up! Hahaha! You said today we would do whatever I wanted and I want to get showered and dressed to go out." You successfully wriggled away and got up before those warm hands groped you back down.

"I'm going to use your shower." You told him as you went to his bathroom.

"Can I use it too?"

"Sure you can. Right after I'm done."

With a smug grin you shut the bathroom door.

The day was splendid. The perfect day, in fact, to traipse around the shopping district near Yusuke's apartment. Many shops, both high-end and not were open and bustling with customers. Excitedly you ran into stores like Gucci, Prada and Cole Haan. As you flitted back and forth between designer pocketbooks, shoes and perfumes, Yusuke tried to not let his worry show. Yusuke knew that you were aware that he was not in the financial state to buy you a $4800 purse, or a $90 bottle of Chanel, but he was happy seeing you happy. In truth, he felt out of place there in his denim jeans, t-shirt and jacket. Whereas you easily fit in in your upscale clothes and fine shoes. The spirit detective figured you must have come from money because you were always dressed in beautiful things. Even your battle gear was well made and looked expensive. But you neither admitted nor mentioned anything about your monetary status, it was no one's business anyway.

"Oh Yusuke! Look at this one! It's amazing. Look, real python," You pointed to a new Gucci bag.

The teen wearily approached the case and peered inside. The bag was nice, he gave it that, but $5000 nice?

Jeeze, with that much money I could rent a flat or buy games and drinks for three months! Yusuke thought.

A clerk saw the two of you and stealthy came over. "Welcome, can I help you see anything?"

The woman glanced approvingly at you, but gave Yusuke the death sentence "once over." This did not go unnoticed by the teen who immediately bristled.

"Unless you got better eyes then we do, then no I don't think so."

You fought back the embarrassed blush. The woman sneered at Yusuke and curtly excused herself.

"Seriously Yusuke? Seriously?" You huffed and pulled him out of the shop.

"What? She looked at me like I was a piece of shit."

You sighed and grabbed his wrist. "Then we need to get you new clothes."

"What's wrong with the ones I got?" He scoffed resisting your pull.

"It's time for an update."

"What do you think?" you said holding up a light blue button down shirt.

The teen eyed it with little interest. "s'ok."

"What do you mean 'ok'? This is a nice shirt. Here try it on."

You ushered him into a dressing room and waited. When he re-emerged, you felt warmth invade your cheeks. Yusuke checked himself in the mirror, his reflection depicting a tall, lithe form with long legs and fine arms. His caramel skin contrasted wonderfully to the pale fabric, the top few buttons undone. His slicked back black hair went well with the overall look. But then Yusuke brought his hand to his hair and ruffled a few locks free, giving him that sexy tousled look of a man fresh from waking. You were entranced.

"Well?" He asked you in the mirror.

"Take it off, I'm getting it for you."

A few hours later, you found yourself hopelessly staring at a wall of what Kuwabara so often called "visual indulgence." Cases and cases of video games lined the shelves at the loca game shop to which Yusuke dragged you. You didn't mind going, you just never expected seeing so many of them. It was impressive, every gamer's dream.

Yusuke busied himself buy comparing pricing between two games while you idly strolled the isles. They seemed interesting to you, especially the more violent ones. You picked out a game where the player had to kill his way to find his lost friend. You read the back cover making curious and inquisitive sounds.

Flipping it over to the front you slipped it back into its spot on the shelf and kept walking. Yusuke was at the counter now placing yen bills onto the surface. The cashier handed him a bulky plastic bag.

How many of those things did he buy? You thought as he came towards you.

Yusuke held up his prize with a large grin. "I'm going to have fuuuun this weekend. Kuwabara's gonna be so pissed when he sees the awesome games I bought."

You smiled and asked to see the contents. Peering inside you counted four games…all violent. Big surprise.

"Ha! No wonder your temper's so bad Yusuke," You teased and closed the bag.

The spirit detective grinned and winked. "It's part of my charm."

The two of you left the game store and made way to the small café on the corner. Sitting down outside, you ordered a cappuccino and Yusuke ordered a black coffee.

"Thank you for taking me out today Yusuke. It means a lot. And I love the shirt you got!" you smiled and leaned forward.

His chocolate eyes were kind as they met yours. The detective couldn't help but feel at peace with you. What a difference from Keiko. With her he was always on edge. Yet you…

"You're welcome."

The sun was beginning to set by the time you returned to Yusuke's apartment. With a heave you tossed your bags onto the floor.

"Mmmmm, what a day!" You said stretching upwards.

Yusuke closed the door behind him and tossed his keys on the kitchen counter. You walked over to his little balcony and opened the slider.

"Yusuke, you gotta come and look at the sunset," you called back inside.

The dark-haired teen gave a tiny smile and followed you. Coming up behind you, the spirit detective encircled your waist in his hold. You felt his chest against your back, his body against yours. With a contented sigh you leaned back into him and let him pull you closer. Your head rested on his shoulder, fitting nicely into the crook of his neck.

"I was thinking—," Yusuke started in the delicate shell of your ear.

His soft voice made you shiver. "Yes?"

Yusuke paused, then continued. "I was thinking maybe we should…take our relationship further."

You were no idiot. You knew what he meant. Your heart sped at the thought of him over you, letting him see you at your utmost vulnerable. However, you were not a virgin and so did not fear the initial embarrassment of inexperience. But you did have deep feelings for Yusuke Urameshi. Feelings that all but made you flush like a virgin in his grasp.

You wondered if Yusuke had even had sex before. For all you knew, he was tied to Keiko before you showed up and she didn't seem like the type to give it very much. Yet something in your gut told you that he had experience, and was most likely pretty good at it. And hell, after the past few days what was the harm in venting a little?

"Yusuke…are you sure?"

You turned to face him still in his arms.

"Yes. But only if you feel comfortable and ready. I want this to be special for you if we do it." He said with brutal honesty.

You felt a grin tug at the corners of your mouth. How cute! He innocently thought you were still a virgin. You giggled at how sweet his gesture was.

"Yusuke—I'm not, you know, unwise to the ways of things." You said arching a brow.

He paused again and blinked. He was clearly caught off guard and quickly composed himself. Giving you an adorable smile, he laced his fingers behind your back. What he suggested next nearly made your heart swell and swoon for him.

"Well—then I want OUR first time to be perfect."

Upon hearing him say those words, you laughed and rose onto your toes. Your lips touched in a sweet kiss. Yusuke gripped you so tightly you thought you might faint. Pulling away you caressed his face, gently tracing his lips with your fingers.

"Ok Yusuke. But, I don't think your balcony is the best place."

Yusuke flashed his devilishly handsome grin and bent down to gather you up into his arms. You were giddy and giggled as he carried you to his room. It was as if you weighed nothing to him so easily he transported you. Using his foot he kicked open his bedroom door and shut it in the same manner. The closed portal brought out the excitement and challenge in you. The spirit detective playfully dropped you onto the bed, nearly pouncing on you as you sassily skirted away from him. You laughed joyfully. Grabbing your hips, Yusuke shucked you back beneath him.

"You are not getting away this time." He informed.

You caught the lustful glitter in his eyes and felt your own sauciness rise to the surface.

"You think you can keep me here? At your mercy?"

Yusuke groaned and nodded. "Yeah I do. You forget I'm the one who won the Dark Tournament. Demons can't get away from me, what makes you different?"

"Need I remind you that I was the one who kicked your ass," You easily flipped him onto his back, much to his delightful surprise, and now was the one in the dominate position. "So, really, you should be at my mercy."

Your sultry voice carried over him like silk earning yearning moans from the teen. Bending at the waist, you ghosted your lips across his. Yusuke succumbed to you willingly, thoroughly enjoying you taking control. Masterfully you kissed him, working his mouth with the ease of a goddess.

The dark-haired teen languidly dragged his hands over your hips and back, seeking to remove your shirt. You let his fingers pull the cloth up your back, over your shoulders and head. Tossing it to the floor, Yusuke now fondled your bare flesh; fingers searing as they touched.

You moaned into his mouth, arching your back into his hands. Soon you found yourself back onto the bed with Yusuke's weight pinning you down. He angled his head and now planted kisses along your neck and chest. The combination of his eager lips and fingers drove you slowly mad with desire. You pressed upwards into his torso, his hips connecting with yours as he nestled in between your thighs. Yusuke kissed your breasts, winding his way under you to unclasp the black bra. With expert dexterity he unhitched the hooks and went to remove it. You momentarily halted. Yusuke had certainly seen and felt your chest, but never without your bra. For him to see your naked breasts, you swallowed. Yusuke sensed your hesitation and leaned up to kiss you.

"Tell me and I'll stop." His voice slid from his throat with slight trepidation. Deep in the recesses of his mind, Yusuke prayed you wanted to continue.

"No—it's fine." You said and stretched your arms.

The bra slid up and off. Your maturity kept you from hiding yourself from his gaze but as you stared at him, your chest rising and falling with deep rhythmic breaths, you understood how open you now were to him.

The teen lowered himself and nuzzled your chest, lovingly treasuring each soft mound.

The night air that filled Yusuke's room chilled your skin and caused your nipples to become hard and pronounced.

Yusuke greedily took each between his lips, suckling and nibbling the sensitive buds. Your mouth fell open as electric bolts shot through you. Taking fistfuls of his hair you writhed beneath his weight, your pelvis brushing his growing need. Yusuke groaned at the friction and urged his hips into yours. The stifling denim jeans he wore pressed miserably on his length which ached to be released from the coarse confines of his pants. You felt the firm mound against your inner thighs and instinctively spread your legs wider. Sudden, primal urges swarmed within you and you sat up. Taking Yusuke's shirt you hastily tore it from his body, leaving behind a wall of sculpted caramel flesh and muscle.

"Yusuke, take them off." You gestured towards his jeans.

With swift movements, Yusuke freed himself of his pants while you also divested of yours. Clad only in your panties you let your eyes wander down the planes of his muscled abdomen, his slender hips, the powerful thighs. Your attention naturally focused on the prominent bulge in his lap. Heat enveloped you and you hungrily pulled him back to you. His hands took your legs, feeling the contours of your calves. Easing up, Yusuke picked at the thin fabric that hid your womanhood from him. Without releasing his mouth, you guided his hands to the waistband. Slowly he pulled the flimsy article away from your hips. Picking your legs up to your chest, you allowed Yusuke to relinquish you of your final piece of clothing.

Now naked and very much wanting, you did the same favor for him. Tantalizingly, you removed his boxers. The air hit his rising length and made Yusuke hiss. Pulling away from his lips you bent your head to the tan column of his neck. Coyly, you snaked your right hand down to his groin. The heat emanating from his crotch scalded your palm. Carefully you wrapped your fingers around him admiring the impressive size. Yusuke gasped, his eyes rolling back. Methodically you began to stroke him, smiling evilly when his hips followed your hand.

"Lie back," He shakily commanded.

You did as he wished and wagged your hips. Spreading your legs you welcomed him. Yusuke saw the wetness between your thighs and groaned deeply. His length twitched at the sight, ready to take you. Quickly reaching for the wallet in his discarded pants, Yusuke took out a small plastic square. As he bit open the tiny package, you watched with growing need as he rolled the protective encasement over his pulsing erection. The spirit detective moved to claim you, lowering his pelvis to align with yours. You sighed in pleasure as his hardness vanished from sight. Feeling the gentile pressure against your entrance further excited your passion and you skillfully bucked your hips to take him in. Yusuke moaned upon feeling your moist heat, his breath hitching in his chest. Placing your hands on his firm backside, you eased him inside you. Yusuke's body trembled above you. Your tightness enclosed his erection in a velvety soft sheath, one that clenched around him. You let out moans of lust as he filled you, his length seeming to swell with each cry.

Yusuke began a steady rhythm, trying not to hurt you. Each thrust of his hips brought more intensity and you soon urged him to move faster. Your nether lips throbbed around his erection as it slipped in and out, hitting that spot deep inside. The two of you bucked and writhed together on his bed, your cries of passion no doubt alerting his neighbors upstairs of what was going on. Yusuke fondled your breasts and squeezed them in time with his thrusts.

It felt so good that you began to laugh.

"Ahh! Yusuke!"

Hearing his name so wantonly coming from your lips drove him wild. His prideful masculinity took over and he lifted you from your prone position. Bringing you to straddle his lap, Yusuke kept his pace as he now thrusted upwards into you. Gripping his shoulders with white knuckled fists, you panted lasciviously in his ears. His grip on your waist was tight and unyielding as he brought you down hard upon his length. Taking initiative, you rotated your hips in tight circles, causing the teen you gasp. The veins of his neck bulged beneath his tan skin as you worked him with fevered abandon. You knew he was close to climax when he met your ministrations with powerful thrusts. Sweat beaded on his forehead and chest, making his skin gleam like fresh caramel. What a delight it was to find out that this formidable Spirit Detective was such a capable lover. His skill in bed could make you completely forgo the events with Keiko. As he reached climax, Yusuke held you close, his heart pounding against your own.

His erection twitched inside you and you felt an increase in warmth as he released his seed. The condom he wore restricted his essence from entering you, and you were thankful for that. The last thing you needed in your life was an "accident." The two of you came down from your ecstasy with heavy breaths and shaking limbs. You gave breathy laughs as you went to remove yourself from him. Sliding from you Yusuke fell onto his back, his arms above his head. His flaccid length rested against his thighs, still glistening with your inner juices. The sight of him weakened by you made you want him again. But you bit back those urges and settled next to him. His left arm came around you and rested on your waist.

"Hoy shit. Why did we wait so long to do that?" He wiped his brow.

"I don't know. But they say waiting makes everything better." You said into his neck.

Yusuke propped his head up with his right arm and looked over at you, his brown pools steady.

Feeling his stare, you looked up at him. Yusuke observed you with caring eyes. His breath was even now and he held you close to him.

"What is it Yusuke?" You asked.

Yusuke's eyes were soft and determined. His mouth opened and expressed his inner most revelation. "I love you, (y/n)."

You blinked. A blush it your cheeks. No one had ever said they loved you with the emotion Yusuke now showed. You looked down. You had to answer him. But professing love was a serious thing! Almost as if listening to your mind struggle, Yusuke leaned forward and reassuringly kissed your head.

"Think on it. I don't need your reply right now. I just want you to know that I love you. You can tell me when you're ready."

His compassion towards you melted your heart and you turned up to capture his mouth. Kissing him with exigent force, you spoke:

"I love you! I do! I love you Yusuke!"

The teen returned your needful kisses, cradling you to his form. Tears fell from your eyes, tears that he licked away. The two of you spent the remainder of the night exploring each other's bodies finally letting your true feelings for one another emerge.


	9. Chapter 9: Missions and Mysteries

Chapter 9

The next day, it seemed that your nightly passions did not ebb for Yusuke desired you and took you several times during the course of the morning. You did not mind in the slightest. The time in the shower was especially fun. The two of you laughed and giggled like children together. Yusuke was so tenacious with you. The aroma of his fresh scented body wash only heightened the lustful events. It was worth noting that with each tussle, Yusuke got better in treating your body like his personal sex toy. He knew exactly where you ached to be touched, kissed, and licked. Likewise you memorized the detective's sweet spots; His ears, belly and of course the obvious. Yusuke was unable to fathom the reality that mind-blowing licentiousness could be achieved between two people. He spent himself to the brink of exhaustion with you, and still pressed to continue. His stamina delighted you.

Around ten o'clock your phone rang. Artfully escaping Yusuke's advances, you picked up the ringing device. It was Genkai.

"Genkai, what's up?" You said hoping she could not hear the skip in your tone only brought upon by sex.

The old psychic grumbled in her usual no-nonsense tone, "You need to get here now. There is an important meeting in an hour. Koenma had ordered that all Spirit Detectives gather at my temple. By the way (y/n), find the dimwit and drag him along with you."

She hung up. You rolled your eyes and closed your phone. Seeing Yusuke emerge from his room fully dressed, you told him the news.

"Seems like Koenma has something to tell us."

Yusuke snorted and slapped his thighs. "What? Really? That bastard. Doesn't he know it's my day off."

You gave a small chucked and put your phone into your pants pocket. "C'mon. Let's go."

The teen begrudgingly followed you out the door.

When you reached Genkai's temple, the others had already assembled. Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara were seated on the floor in the central hall. They all, with the exception of Hiei, acknowledged your entry. Yusuke sat opposite you next to Kuwabara as you found a spot near the red-headed fox.

Giving each of you an appreciative nod, Koenma began.

"A new threat has arrived in Living World. My informants have told me that a rogue demon has infiltrated passed the kekkai barrier and has been running amuck in the city."

"So you need us to kill it huh?" Yusuke droned.

The prince shot him a glare. "Yes Yusuke. It should be fairly simple but, to be safe I have called all of you here."

You felt nervous then. The others were unfazed by the orders but you had never been on a job before. The extent of fighting a demon to you was battling Hiei or Kurama in training. A real demon this time! You pushed aside your nerves and chimed in.

"I'm going too?"

Koenma and Genkai nodded.

"We think it to be a good opportunity for you to test your strength. After all, you do have the evidence of being a substantial fighter, (y/n)." Koenma winked.

Shit! He had seen your fight with Yusuke in the field! Ahhhh, of course he did! He saw everything.

"Heh…maybe I do," You said finding something on the ceiling particularly interesting.

Kuwabara and Kurama shrugged. Hiei only smirked.

"All right, now get to it."

The five of you trailed the demon to the city's south side. The buildings got dinger and more run down. It was a fitting hiding place.

"Alright come out and show your face! I've got things to do tonight and I don't want to spend my time kickin your ass!"

Leave it to Yusuke to bring the tact, you thought.

You all were poised and ready to attack at a moment's notice. Kurama and Hiei had scouted up ahead leaving behind Yusuke, Kuwabara and you. A rustling came from your right. The figure was large and daunting with protruding horns and glowing yellow eyes. It saw you. Without warning it went for you, it's teeth bared. Quickly you alerted the others.

"He's here!"

The demon lunged for you. You dodged it and released an attack that sent it flying backwards. It struck the side of a building leaving behind a cloud of dust. Behind you you heard the hurried footsteps of Kurama, Kuwabara and Yusuke.

"Wow! Holy crap (y/n) when did you learn to do that?" Kuwabara exclaimed.

When I fought Yusuke? You thought. "In my spare time."

Kurama seemed impressed by the force in your energy. Yusuke raised his index finger ready to shoot his Spirit Gun. The demon recovered and speedily dashed to the left. Hiei came then, swinging his sword with a surgeon's precision. The demon growled as the blade met its flesh. Ribbons of dark blood trailed after each slice. The fire demon issued for Yusuke to make the final blow.

"Spirit Gun!" The usual blue flash erupted from the teen's finger and practically dissolved the injured creature.

Kuwabara ran over to his friend and patted him hard on the back. "Yeah! That was awesome Urameshi! Too bad I didn't get to use my Spirit Sword though."

Yusuke grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. I didn't need ya."

Kuwabara's face darkened and the two boys quibbled back and forth. Kurama shook his head like a fatigued parent. Hiei folded his arms and stayed off to the side, saying nothing.

You, on the other hand, were very very excited. "That was so cool! No wonder you guys love your jobs!"

Yusuke smiled at you. Only you caught his wink. Laughing you ran over to Kuwabara and slapped his hand in a high-five. Hiei watched you. The demon let a ghost of a smirk rise for he knew you were different. There was a bounce in your step. He only had to glance at Yusuke to realize why. The teen's scent was all over you. Not that he cared, but Hiei was more at ease with your situation. And it appeared that the others were not bothered by your relationship with Yusuke. They treated you as if nothing happened. Which was great.

"When did you get so powerful (y/n)?" Kuwabara asked.

"Years of training?" You said.

Kurama too acknowledged your improvement. "Now all you need to do is show this power on the training field."

You smiled and eagerly nodded your head. Relief flooded into you that no one held any grudges against you. It took all Yusuke had to not go over to you and swing you into his arms. He was proud of you and that together, the two of you made a great team. Satisfied, the team left the shambled city area and returned to civilization.

Kuwabara wanted to celebrate with karaoke. Yusuke thought it was a good idea, Kurama too. You and Hiei held back; Hiei because it was Hiei and you because you couldn't sing at all. Kuwabara patted you on the shoulder.

"You think I can sing? It's fun."

"Yeah, we're lucky if the glass doesn't break," Yusuke jabbed with a sly grin.

"Shut the hell up Urameshi!"

You giggled and eventually gave in.

The karaoke bar was mildly busy and you sang one song. Kuwabara and Yusuke hogged the machine…mostly out of competition.

After a couple hours of mindless entertainment, you all left and went your separate ways. Kuwabara had to study for his high-school entrance exams, Kurama had to finish a biology project and Hiei just wanted to leave. Waving goodbye, you and Yusuke walked along the busy sidewalks of Tokyo. You attracted much attention with Yusuke, an interracial couple in Japan were few and far between. Yusuke noticed the looks you got by men and glared at them dangerously. Turning a corner, you came to the more suburban area of the city. Houses and apartments littered the grounds versus corporate buildings. You caught sight of your apartment complex in the distance and took Yusuke's hand. Lacing your fingers together, Yusuke brought your hand to his lips.

"You sure you don't want to spend the night again?" He asked suggestively.

You chuckled and shook your head. "Yusuke, I can't stay at your place all of the time. I need to go home now and then."

"Can I stay then?" He questioned.

Giving him a look, you tilted your head. "If you want."

"Oh I want to. I want to very much," He purred.

You snickered and led him to your home.

A sharp pain jolted you out of a sound sleep. It came from your belly as if someone drove a knife into your gut. Quickly you rose and ran for the bathroom. You hovered over the toilet, trying to will yourself not to vomit. The stomach cramps were blinding. You ran through your mind the things you had consumed that day. Nothing tasted weird…so it probably was not food poisoning. But it sure as hell felt like it.

"Ohhhh, what…what is this?" You sighed into the toilet bowl.

You knew you weren't pregnant either. What the hell was this? It seeped into every pore, every sinew of your body. Your limbs tingled and your head swam. Your body felt as if it was pulsating. A cold sweat broke out over your skin and you shivered. It scared you whatever it was and you gripped your sides. A humming in your ears began to sound like the beat of bass drum; Bang, Bang, BANG! The pain was so intense that for a brief moment you blacked out. When you came too, the pain vanished. It left you shaking and pale on the cold tile floor. You stayed there for a few more minutes, making sure it had passed before you went back to bed. You stumbled a bit when you left the bathroom but paid it no mind.

You saw and thanked the gods Yusuke was still sleeping. Tenderly you crawled next to him, calming tremendously when he rolled over and held you. With fear in your heart you went back to sleep. What you did not know was that while you blacked out, you had floated above the floor leaving underneath you a shallow dip in the tile.

That was the first time. The second occurrence came one day while you were home alone. Again the stinging pain, again the blacking out. You woke on the floor. Freaked out, you went to the doctor thinking you were having seizures. When the doctor informed you that everything was fine, you felt a little more at ease. The third time it happened by far was the worst. You had been cleaning your bookshelves when the attacks came. When you woke, you marveled at the massacre of books strewn about you. Weakly you gathered them up and put them back. Your mood changed over the course of the following months. You became less outgoing and spent more time by yourself.

Yusuke grew concerned for you and frequented your apartment. It was during one of these visits the Yusuke saw what plagued you.

The two of you were sitting on your couch watching a movie when your breathing changed. He saw your chest rise and fall rapidly and at once was worried. You felt the pain in your head and gripped your face with claw-like hands.

"Ahhhh! Yusuke! I can't stop it! It hurts!"

You twisted on the couch to avoid the increasing trauma. Yusuke was at a lot. His heart fluttered as he watched you suffer. Doubling over, you curled into a tight ball. Yusuke was about to call 911 when he felt the air change dramatically. It grew hotter in your apartment like someone changed the thermostat. The spirit detective braced for danger, his eyes dilated.

Screeching and heavy dragging sounded in the apartment. Yusuke had to cover his ears at the noise.

"What the hell is going on!?" He yelled.

Suddenly, rings of light like ripples on a lake pulsed throughout the apartment. The floors shook and the windows trembled. Yusuke watched in disbelief as the ripples emanated from you, one by one. Your screams had stopped, indicating you had lost consciousness, and you slowly levitated from the ground. As you rose, your body unfolded, leaving you open as if on a table. The teen felt the surges of energy radiating from you and fell to his knees. Around him, the ripples of light destroyed your possessions. With each connection, they left massive lacerations in the walls and doors. A pounding could be heard through his palms, like a giant heartbeat. Yusuke let out gasps of exclamation as your body curved back releasing a final surge. In an instant, the power stopped and you landed on the floor with a thud.

Yusuke, covered with debris and dust, ran over to you and scooped you into his arms. Faster than he could remember, he raced with you to Genkai's temple.


	10. Chapter 10: Revelations

Chapter 10

By the time Yusuke arrived at the temple, you had woken up and were now wondering why you were there. The teen explained to you what happened, of which you were completely unaware.

"I did what?" You asked.

"You went like…batshit crazy! That's what" Yusuke exclaimed.

Genkai, who was standing near, calmly listened to Yusuke's description of your ailment.

"Yusuke, tell me, what sensation did you get from her when she was finished?" The old woman asked.

Yusuke thought for a moment then replied, "I don't know. Relief I guess. Almost like opening a can of soda."

Genkai nodded in her quiet, sage like way. "I figured. (y/n) you will remain here until I say otherwise. I want to keep a close eye on you."

You agreed and sighed. "I just want it to stop. It's been going on for a few months now."

Genkai tightened her lips at that. "Months? And you've kept it hidden?"

"Yes. Not easily mind you. Why?"

"I was hoping this could wait but I think we all need to have a little chat with Koenma."

Several hours later, the prince of Spirit World arrived. Koenma was informed by Genkai in private. When they emerged from her anti-chamber, Koenma insisted that you and Yusuke sit with him.

"This…may come as a shock but (y/n) this is the reason you're here. I was hoping it would not happen for many years, or at least gradually. It seems that after this mission I sent you on with Yusuke and the boys, something triggered in you. I know that that was not the first time you used your powers," he gave you a long look.

"But I suppose I can't hide it from you. I brought you to Genkai because you have a power that I have never encountered before. I knew that without the proper training it would grow to destroy you and, possibly, your country. I wanted to make sure you used your abilities for good."

You sat back on the floor. What the hell? Where did this come from? All of a sudden you had this ultra strong power inside you? Why were you just finding out about it now? Why not sooner? It made no sense.

"What the hell does this mean for me Koenma?" You barked.

"What you are going through, your black outs and pain, is your power wanting to be released. In other words, your spirit energy is evolving more rapidly than I expected. That's why you suffer. It has to go somewhere and you are not skilled enough to control it. So it surges out of you like lava from a volcano."

This was all too much for you. But it did make sense. You had wondered why Koenma offered for you to travel half way across the globe to be taught by some old bitty. You had wondered why Genkai had taken a shine to you. Sure you trained more than the others but that was because of your inexperience right? You thought black on the night of Keiko. You walked the streets, and your energy spiraled out of you. You saw how mailboxes and fences bent and contorted. Had your energy been trying to free itself all of this time?

Is that why your job with Koenma was put on hold? So that you did not pose a threat?

"How could you keep this from me?" You hissed.

The prince lowered his gaze. "It was hard. But I did not want to worry you."

Yusuke, who had been taking it all in piped up. "So, just how strong are we talkin here?"

You shot him a look. "Really? I've been told some serious news and all you ask about is how strong I am?"

"I can't help it. A fighter fights." Yusuke said trying to lighten the mood.

Koenma continued. "Well, you see that's difficult to say—,"

"If I had to guess dimwit she's probably equal to you now. With the proper training and management, she could surpass you." Genkai shot at the teen.

"I've heard enough." You stood and left the chamber in a huff.

Once out of sight, Yusuke heatedly turned to Koenma.

"For fuck's sake Koenma! She's been through enough. You go and spring this on her."

"It's more complicated than that Yusuke. One day you won't be Spirit Detective and I had to find someone to take your place."

This hit Yusuke like a slap in the face. "Replace me?"

"Yes. It is natural for the balances of power to rise as generations continue. The Spirit Detective is no exception. Kuroko, the first detective was strong, but only B class. Sensui was subsequently stronger than her, being a human's equivalent of S class. And now you, the current Spirit Detective are stronger than Sensui being (demon) S class. (y/n) has the potential to go even higher than that."

Yusuke paused and let it all sink in. "So…Are we talken blowing up the planet type power?"

Koenma caught Yusuke's jest but remained stoic. "If she is not helped then it is probable."

Yusuke stood angrily then. His fists balled at his sides. "The fucking hell!? Is there anything you can do? You brought her here knowing how dangerous she was? Do the guys know about this?"

"No one else knows. Though I think Hiei might suspect something. The most I could do woud be repress her powers deep within her. Lock them away. Until she was ready to handle them. But it's very strenuous work and she might not be the same."

"You're an ass Koenma! You should have told her this from the start! I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to at least blow you up!"

Yusuke stormed out leaving the prince and Genkai.

He found you standing near a giant oak in the moonlight. Yusuke slowed his pace and watched you as you stared up at the silver orb. You never knew of your true power, and finding out was not what you had wanted to hear. Yusuke hesitated. He did not know what to do. If you did pose a hazard for the world, as the current Spirit Detective, it was his duty to stop you. He was unsure if he could. You were destined to be his replacement.

Suddenly, Yusuke felt very protective of you. What if demons from Makai discovered you? What if someone bent on taking over the Living World got a hold of you and manipulated your powers? What if Koenma was right and by shutting your power away changed you. You might be a force to be reckoned with, but until that day came, you needed protecting and Yusuke was not one to wimp out. Yusuke walked over to you and stood next to you.

"What are you looking at?" He asked softly.

"The moon." You answered distantly.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what pacifier breath said in there."

"It's ok. I'm getting used to these moonlight confessions of late." You smiled at him.

"Moonlight confessions?"

"Yeah. First was when you told me you cared for me. The second was when you told me you loved me, and now this."

You let out a humored sigh. "This is so random to me. Maybe my fight with you started this. And then with the demon, it found a way out."

Yusuke listened quietly. Finding this out was like another blow to him. "I'm sorry our relationship has been a tough one. It's like fate is getting back at me for the shitty things I've done in my life."

You winked. "But if it were normal it wouldn't be as much fun."

"True."

He held you. His strength was such a comfort.

"I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen."

You laughed. "Is this another moonlight confession?"

"Yeah," Yusuke too looked up at the glowing moon now high in the sky and hugged you tighter. "I guess it is."


	11. Chapter 11: Progress

Chapter 11

Right away your training started. You were put through endless tasks of releasing and retracting your energy. You controlled your ability to fly as well as the output of power behind your attacks. The pains you felt grew less and less and you began to feel better. Genkai pushed you hard in the beginning. Koenma had gently ordered for her to keep on you with this. She listened there was no doubt about that. You often slept in the temple covered in bruises and cuts. Yusuke too helped in your training. You held practice fights with each of you testing your strongest attacks of late. Yusuke was so helpful with you. He assisted you in properly standing, kicking and punching. In a way, he had changed his outlook on you. He now saw a pupil. He never admitted this of course, his pride would not stand for it. But he reassured you all the same.

Eventually, Kurama, Kuwabara and Hiei were told of you. Eager to lend a hand, they all sparred with you. Hiei was the most ruthless. Many times you almost felt another surge of power because of him but held it back. It was as if the fire demon wanted you to unleash it. Nevertheless, you became stronger. Genkai was impressed by your progress and Koenma praised you.

Your powers complied more to your commands. Swirling white flames erupted from you, giving you the impression of being one mass of glowing fire. You could even move things and objects more efficiently with your thoughts than before. With more control, you even began to speak more English with the guys. You figured you were too tired from training to keep up the Japanese, and so you often reverted back to English.

Kurama understood you and even Kuwabara too. Yusuke still was rusty but studied in his free time (the time he was not with you.) Hiei still refused but by using his Jagan eye, he understood you mentally.

Soon, you and Yusuke were the ones called to stop demons running wild in Living World. The two of you worked together, your powers combining to form walls of spirit energy. The fight in Yusuke loved working with you. You proved to be an asset to the team now that you were in control. On special occasions, you would treat Yusuke and using your abilities, levitated him alongside you. Into the night you would soar high above the city. Sometimes you bumped into Botan ferrying souls to Spirit World.

Yusuke laughed loudly as you weaved and rolled in the air, the little kid in him thrilled. Nowadays, you were able to keep both of you up without much concentration. You remembered the days when raising a defense shield caused you to plummet to earth. Kuwabara begged for you to take him up, and you agreed. If only that he did not struggle too much. The look on his face when you came back down told you that he would pester you for rides to school.

Yusuke quickly put an end to those dreams. You didn't mind it. Hiei tested your endurance by challenging you to long distance races. The result was Hiei crossing the finish line, but you were not far behind. Many times you opted to fly, but with the fire demon you honored him by running on the ground.

You came in handy when called to handle a large job. When the boys were busy, you acted as their shied, encasing them in protective spirit shields. Demons soon grew to detest you and your name began to circulate in Makai. Yusuke's replacement, the next Spirit Detective, the White Flame Serpent, all of these names were synonymous with your name. You especially liked White Flame Serpent. When you questioned the Serpent part, Hiei informed you that when you used your energy, it surrounded and coiled languidly around you like a large mythological serpent. And it seemed fitting; if Yusuke's energy took the form of a bird or phoenix, yours appeared to take on the form of a serpent or dragon. Demons were addressing you and Yusuke as the Seiryu and Suzaku of the Spirit Detectives. You blushed and laughed at that. You also noted that the Saint Beast Seiryu was often associated with emperors. You told Yusuke this bit of information one night over dinner. Yusuke, upon hearing that the phoenix was commonly associated with the empress, set out to illustrate to you who played the role of the emperor in your relationship. A lesson you greatly enjoyed learning.

But you were also flattered that your energy was that intimidating and apparently famous.

You were eventually looked as being the second strongest in the group, second to Yusuke. Kuwabara grumbled at that but came to terms with it. You did not flaunt your status with the boys. To you they were all equal. You hated thinking that you were superior then they. You admired Kurama and respected Hiei greatly. Even Kuwabara you reviered in your own way. There were traits that earned it from you. And the guys liked the fact that you still saw them as comrades.

Then one day came that nearly set your progress back months. Out on a job with the boys, you had been stalking a demon rumored to have been able to project the darkest fears of the heart. It had been sighted, most appropriately, in an old Lunatic Asylum that had been built in the early 1800s. At first you had jumped on the chance to bag a demon of this power, but when you hunted the creature down in the eerie building evidence of its formidable ability began to form around you. Hallucinogenic images floated in the distance. The atmosphere grew black and cold. You saw haunting scenes of your dear friends murdered in most gruesome ways. Kuwabara, poor innocent Kuwabara, was disemboweled and quartered; Kurama was strung up by thorny vines like a puppet; Hiei's skin being flayed by his own sword. You felt your mind slip from the onslaught of horror. You began to disassociate yourself from the area containing these pictures. You frantically tried to keep your wits, but when you saw the image of Yusuke kneeling in front of the manipulative demon, his arms tied behind his back, his back marred from whips and chains you felt yourself act in panic and rage. Everything felt, smelled, and tasted real. The coppery blood, the putrid odor of fear itself rampaged through you.

With a blood-curdling scream, you went after the apparition of Yusuke. The demon's sword swung towards the detective's neck in slow motion. Your heart expanded and pumped rapidly in your chest. Your powers throbbed from your being in white hot surges. The ground shook and the demon snapped his head in your direction.

Your entire form was engulfed in blinding flames, your face a mask of revenge. Your body charged at the creature, rings of bright energy pulsing off of you. Wherever they struck left ash in their wake. The demon stared at you as if you were an angry deity; the warring dragon. Harnessing your power, you thrust your arms forward and released a wave of white flame and light. So bright and encompassing was this force that it scarred the very earth by which is traveled. Your voice took on an ethereal tone, almost echoing on itself as you screamed. Once enshrouded in your energy, the demon evaporated like steam. The darkness abated and you floated several feet in the air. Yusuke and the others stared at you and at once tried to calm you. Yusuke called out to you, trying to get you to hear his voice.

"(Y/n) it's me! Listen to me! It's over now, please come down," his voice was laced with concern.

Now that you had control over your incredible energy, you were in fact more dangerous. You coldly stared down at the pile of grease and ash that was once the demon. You looked terrifying there suspended by nothing. You appeared as the serpent many claimed you to be. White veins of light crept onto your skin. It took nearly ten minutes before you heard the calls of the detective. Blinking you shook your head and searched for him. When you caught sight of him, that he was alright, you lowered yourself to the ground. The guys ran over to you and you embraced them. Yes, you hugged Hiei, speaking into his black cloak.

"Holy shit! I thought you were all dead!" You whimpered.

"No, we're fine but that guy sure as hell isn't," Kuwabara gestured to the spot of pitch.

You pulled back from the fire demon and followed Kuwabara's pointed finger.

"Oh! I didn't mean to be so…destructive."

Yusuke cracked a smile and playfully punched your chin. "Are you kidding? That was awesome. But you did have us nervous there."

"Why?"

Kurama came forward with some herb for you to chew. "Here it will ease your fatigue. You took a long time to return to us. You must not let yourself become blinded by your power."

Taking the herbs, you placed them in your mouth. They tasted like peppermint. "What is this?"

"Just something I've been working on for my bio project." His green eyes glittered.

"It's good."

"Let get outta here before the cops come. I'm sure they heard the blast," Yusuke said.

In the distance sirens were ringing, signaling for your retreat.

Later that evening, you had bid the guys goodnight and went to your room in the eastern wing of Genkai's complex. Since the initial incident in your apartment, Genkai and Koenma insisted you stay here. So, at their behest, you moved your stuff to this room. It was a fine size with an attached bathroom. Undressing from your battle garb, you flung it over the back of a desk chair. Doing some quick back stretches to work out the kinks, you donned a simple large t-shirt you stole from Yusuke's apartment. You were not big on pajamas anyway. You approved of yourself in your mirror, Yusuke's shirt hanging loosely at your thighs. Brushing your teeth and hair, you readied for bed. The sliding of your door alerted you and you jolted around.

"Jeeze Yusuke! You scared the crap outta me." You heaved clutching your chest.

The dark-haired teen grinned and winked. "Nice shirt."

Rolling your eyes, you went back to situating yourself beneath the light covers.

"You were great today, you know?" He said removing his jacket.

Glancing up at him, you half-smiled. "Thanks. But I almost lost it again."

The teen came over and sat next to you, the mattress sinking with his added weight.

"Yeah, but you didn't. Stop being so hard on yourself. As my successor you need to have some of my badassness." He cheekily said.

You lightly pushed him. "Shut up. I have my own badassness. I don't need yours."

The teen raised his right hand and ran it through your hair.

You closed your eyes and sank into his touch. "Wanna do something fun tomorrow?"

Yusuke's thumb now grazed your cheek. "Sure. Like what?"

"Why don't we go to the amusement park? Ride the roller-coasters. I need some normal thrills in my life."

Yusuke's russet pools light up. "Yeah! It's been ages since I went!"

"Great! I'm excited," You said.

Yusuke leaned forward and kissed you. The feeling of his lips soothed you instantaneously and you returned the gesture. You loved his spontaneous kisses. It kept your relationship sizzling and active.

His smell wafted into your senses as you entwined your arms around his neck. The spirit detective took your waist and brought you closer on the bed. The kiss was slow and sweet. The kind you most enjoyed. Yusuke's gentility served to heighten your desire for him as it could only lead to him becoming rougher in your exploits. Your fingertips delicately touched the fine hairs on the back of his neck before burying them in his slicked black locks.

If there was one thing that drove Yusuke crazy, it was your hands gripping his scalp. He adored the sensation of your individual fingers in his hair, the thin pressure from each digit on his skin. Soft moans leaked from your throats. Yusuke angled his head to better fix his mouth on yours. The lazy motions with which he massaged your lips sparked electrodes of pleasure in your stomach. The teen lay back against your pillow, effectively bringing you down on top of him. His firm hands rested on your lower back and hips.

It was as if the spirit detective could not keep his hands off of you for any length of time. You knew his hands were itching to raise the hem of his shirt and stroke your flesh. You started lightly when his fingers hovered over the swell of your hip.

"Yusuke, we gotta stop. What if Genkai finds out?" You giggled smacking those curious digits away.

"So what? Grandma won't do anything."

From outside your room, her grumbly voice stated:

"Won't I dimwit? I think it's about time you went home anyway. Leave her alone before I come in there and pull you out by your ears."

Both laughing hysterically at the awesome timing, you pushed off of the teen's chest and digressed to getting under the blankets.

The spirit detective stood and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Guess this is goodnight."

"Yeah~ Until tomorrow. Night Yusuke."

He bent down and gave you a lingering parting kiss. "I'll text you when I get home."

"Ok."

As his silhouette faded from the slider, you fell asleep to his defensive voice against Genkai's "motherly" scolding.


	12. Chapter 12: Outdoor Amusement

Yusuke reader chapter 12:

As a true gentleman should, Yusuke arrived two minutes early at Genkai's temple to collect you. Yusuke's punctuality greatly amused you and likewise surprised Genkai. The old woman kept her grins hidden from the impulsive spirit detective. She knew how Yusuke wanted to keep his pride intact.

"What are your plans for today?" Genkai asked flatly.

The detective tilted his head. "Not much."

"Sounds like oodles of fun."

Yusuke said something snide, and then went back to waiting. You heard them outside your room and smiled. Yusuke you're so disrespectful, you thought. One last time, you turned to your mirror and assessed your choice of dress. Simple jeans, cute tank and flip-flops. Nothing too fancy, it was the amusement park after all. With a satisfied nod you quick grabbed your purse and shades. Making your way towards the entrance you laughed as you overheard Yusuke and Genkai spittin about something.

"Hey you two, stop it. Hey Yusuke," You said with a wave.

He was dressed in a dark denim jacket with a creamy shirt and jeans. On any other guy those clothes would've looked wrong, just plain wrong—but on him it was fitting. The softness of the yellow shirt complimented the perfect caramel tone of his skin and the tightness of his jeans was just right.

Yusuke likewise eyed your top with lecherous stares. The fabric was close fitting, accentuating the toned muscles of your stomach.

Genkai gave short farewells and walked back into her complex. Once she was gone, Yusuke let out a sigh of relief.

"The old lady irks me."

"She's just looking out for you," You said grinning.

"Yeah whatever. More like cramping my style."

You shook your head and stepped down to meet him. He nonchalantly took your hand and proceeded to walk down the many steps leading away from the temple grounds. You followed close behind. Reaching the mid-point, Yusuke stopped and looked around.

"What's wrong?" You asked.

Thinking he had sensed a demon, you heightened your awareness. Feeling nothing you became confused. Yusuke turned his head right to left. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Shhh listen!" He said.

You listened. You heard nothing. "Yusuke what is it?" You asked getting a little nervous.

Without warning, the detective darted to his left taking you with him. Your heart sped. Why was he running? Were you being hunted? Impossible. No demon could get through Genkai's complex without her knowing. Yusuke was running faster now, dodging trees and low lying branches. You followed in step readying for the slightest chance of attack.

"Yusuke you need to tell me where it is! I can't see, hear, or sense it!" You said forcefully.

"Once we get around that tree I think we'll be safe," He answered pointing to a rather large pine.

He whirled behind the trunk, pulling you beside him. The two of you breathed heavily and you were aggravated that some spirit was going to ruin your outing.

"Where is it? I'll kill it myself!" You huffed searching the dense forest.

Your energy was waiting to be released. When nothing made itself known, you calmed. Yet when you heard the familiar sounds of Yusuke's laughter behind you, your energy flared up.

"What are you laughing about? You think this is funny?" You scolded him with serious eyes.

The black-haired teen eased his chortles and pulled you close to him. A look of seduction clouded his chocolate pools now, their past concern forgotten.

"You mean, do I think that running from the all-seeing eyes of the old bat in order to get you alone with me in the woods is funny? Why yes I think it's hysterical."

The detective backed you against the wide trunk of the great pine. Yusuke let go of your hand and gripped your hips. Pressing them with his fingers, Yusuke bowed his head. His forehead now resting on yours, the teen breathed softly to you.

"To be honest, I'd rather be right here than in some amusement park. Right here, with you. This is all I need."

Yusuke lowered his mouth to yours. The heat intensified in your cheeks as his lips touched yours in a tender, intimate kiss. A moan of approval escaped from you and you circled your arms around his neck. Being so close to him you smelled his fresh cologne. It was very faint but it held the fragrance of cedar and clove.

The detective gently increased the pressure of his kiss making you press his lips firmly onto yours. You felt his kiss all over; from the nerves in your lips to the tips of your toes. The way his hands held your hips tightly to the tree greatly aroused your wanting of him. He brought his body against yours and you made out the tight muscles beneath his clothing.

All too soon, Yusuke pulled back. Reluctantly, your lips separated and you braced your head on the pine. Yusuke flicked his tongue to taste you on his mouth. His eyes were like molten chocolate as seeing your flushed face and kiss swollen lips ignited his passions for you.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that," he whispered down to you.

"A full twelve hours?" You joked.

"Yeah. And that's way too long." He said.

He kissed you again this time more feverishly.

"I need you. I want you," He hoisted you up leaving you no other option than to secure your legs around his waist.

"Y…Yusuke! What? Haha, control yourself there," You giggled incredibly excited by the thought of having sex out in the open.

"Mmmmm I can't. You did something to me last night. And the way you fought that demon made me want to screw you right then and there." Yusuke breathed more heavily against your mouth.

"Yes." You whispered.

The spirit detective ground his hips into yours in slow thrusts. You moaned as his need pressed hard against your groin and you cursed the fact that you chose to wear jeans instead of a skirt today. Had you known, things would've been very different. As punishment, you now had to endure the dull ache throbbing in your womanhood as it made contact with Yusuke's stiffening organ.

"Getting these off is going to be a bitch," you grumbled.

Yusuke chuckled and slowed his pace. "I can fix that."

His deft fingers left your hips and worked to undo your pants. As he busied himself with the challenging task of subtracting the tight denim from your lower half, your fingers sought out the gelled strands atop Yusuke's scalp. They dove into the slick black locks pulling and rubbing. Hissing between his teeth Yusuke let his head fall back exposing the caramel column that was his neck. Seeing this inviting gesture, you hungrily latched on.

In the back of your mind however you knew that this was not what you had planned to accomplish this day. However that mattered not for right at that moment you wanted nothing more than to have Yusuke ravish you like a beast against that pine tree. The thought delighted you to the point of nirvana.

You told Yusuke that in order to successfully remove your pants he needed to put you down. He did and hastily you kicked away your jeans and flip-flops. Yusuke swiftly undid his own jeans and brought them just below his hips. Remembering to use protection the detective extracted the package from his back pocket and eased the latex sheath over his hardened length allowing the two of you to resume your original positions. With legs firmly entwined about his waist you maneuvered yourself to align with his stiffened need.

"We're far away from prying eyes. So there's no chance of us being found out," Yusuke uttered. "We can be as loud as we want."

You laughed and taunted: "you think you can make me?"

"Heh. No doubt."

Yusuke held your hips and drove himself into you. The sudden entrance made you gasp and toss your head back. Your hair tangled in the bark but you didn't care; in that single thrust Yusuke had struck that spot deep within and sent sparks of heat flying.

A cry of ecstasy escaped from the bowels of your being and soared high into the air. Surly Genkai had heard its echo but you did not care. Yusuke continued to thrust hard into you hitting that electric bundle each time. Your throat grew sore from vocalizing your pleasure over and over again and you prayed that Kurama, Kuwabara, and especially Hiei were nowhere around.

Yusuke worked his hips faster now, wanting to be the reason that you screamed and mewled so vociferously. He saw tears weep from your slender lashes which he wiped away with his thumb. The teen pressed you into the tree increasing his tempo. His grunts and moans meshed with yours transforming primal outbursts into melodic outpours. Rocking together, surrounded by nature, it was surrealistic.

Yusuke pushed deeply into you bringing your pelvises to interlock and your toes to painfully curl. His tensing body told you he was ready to release as were you. A final exclamation of rapture and the tingles of climax hazed your beings. Yusuke fell forward against you spent and trembling.

"My Gods Yusuke! What was that?" You panted into his ear.

The detective gave ragged breaths. "That was fucking awesome."

The teen gingerly pulled from you and carefully set you back onto the ground. Yusuke pulled his jeans up and went to reach for yours. You noticed how he swiveled his upper body around in order to hide your lower half. When he knelt down to pick them up, he skillfully shielded your pelvic region with his shoulders. Taking your jeans from him you slipped your legs into the course garment and dressed.

"Are you ok? I didn't hurt you did I?" He asked in question to your slow movements.

"No, I'm fine," You said with a wave.

Despite your reassurance, the detective caught that something was red and angry on your back between your shoulder blades and bade you turn. His cocoa eyes widened in worry at the scrapes etched into your skin from the gritty bark.

"You are hurt. Shit why didn't you say anything? We need to get this taken care of."

You shrugged his hands away and gave him a confident wink. "No I like them." You stuffed your hands into your pockets. "Battle scars."

"You sadistic freak," Yusuke grinned.

"Always. So, what now?" You asked smoothing over your tousled hair.

The teen reached into his pockets and pulled out two tickets for the amusement park in Odaiba.

"Still wanna go?"

"You got tickets already?" You said extremely cajoled. "When did you buy these? Last night?"

Yusuke waved them in his hand. "I have my ways."

Giving him a small eye-roll, you plucked the tickets from his fingers and bestowed upon him quick kisses.

"Well, then let's go."


	13. Chapter 13: Chance Meeting a White Cross

Yusuke reader chapter 13: Chance meeting a White Cross

(For those who have never heard of Weiss Kreuz or its subsequent series, you really should check them out. It is a fantastic Anime and one of my top favorites. I do not own Weiss Kreuz, Takehito Koyasu does. So there is no confusion, this takes place after Gluhen and before Weiss Side B.)

Odaiba Amusement Park was bustling with eager faces and happy smiles when you arrived. It was just midday and the sun was hot and beating down hard, the perfect cause for icy cold drinks and ice creams. Yusuke pulled you in different directions excited to be the first in line for the many roller-coasters and thrill rides. You had to laugh and shove him out of the way so you could claim the craved spot.

Your favorite ride by far was the Hang Man roller coaster (made up). Yusuke would disagree on what the best ride was, choosing instead the loop filled Tengu (also made up). Stopping for something to eat, mostly because Yusuke started whining about takoyaki, you went to find a reasonable place to eat. You wanted something…recognizable. Yusuke smiled and patted your shoulder as he understood your slight reluctance to areas of Japanese cuisine.

"Fine. I'll go this way and I'll catch up with you k?" He said already heading towards the takoyaki stand.

You shook your head and grinned. Going to look on your own, you quickly got lost in a sea of people. Hundreds of bodies mingled and pushed around you all hurrying to their next destination. You ignored their obvious stares, used to the fact that, as an American, earning the brunt of curious dark eyes was to be your norm. Children ran up to you testing their English skills. Girls asked if you lived in Hollywood near movie stars. Guys talked about the size of your chest and hips, comparing yours to their girlfriends. You took it in stride, the gestures and expressions old news to you. Living in Japan for four years made you immune to the appreciations designated for gaijin.

'Wow, four years already? Time flies.' You thought. The simple fact that you were going to turn 19 in three months made you shiver. You were 18 when you began dating Yusuke, it was hard to believe that a whole year passed since then.

As you maneuvered passed hoards of people, you unintentionally bumped into a young man nearly making him stumble back.

"Oh! I'm sorry," You quickly apologized.

Glancing to catch his face, you stopped in disbelief. Your mouth opened and your eyes widened in true surprise. Instantly you recognized the man you had jostled; sure his hair was a bit longer, but those teal blue eyes were the same. So was that smile. That hadn't changed in all of the years since you had last seen him. He was a tiny bit taller, his body still retaining the toned physique of his love for soccer.

"Ken Hidaka. It's really you!" You exclaimed reaching to hug the smiling man.

"Yeah! Wow, (y/n) holy crap, look at you! You look great! Oh my God it's great to see you. Wow, what brings you here?" Ken's voice was as smooth as you remembered it to be.

"I know. I can't believe it's you. I thought that after I stopped working in that hotel down the street from you and the guys that I'd never see you again. I didn't need all those flowers anymore for the lobby," You joked and practically pulled him out of the throng.

"How are you though Ken? I'm fine. Been doing this and that. What about the others? Omi? Yoji? And Aya? Are they well?" You jabbered excited to see an old friend.

Ken chuckled and ran a hand through his much longer brown locks. His hair now brushed his shoulders, tapering to fan out at the bottom. His bangs were now swept to the right side of his face, shadowing one crystal clear teal eye. This new look made him seem like a model almost. You wondered where he got the idea. Back in the day, when you first came to Japan and got your first job in an English speaking hotel near downtown Tokyo, you met Ken while he was on a delivery. The guy you knew then, dressed in t-shirts and jeans and the occasional leather jacket, now stood in tight jeans and a black long sleeved shirt. They were non-descript clothes but accentuated his body nicely. You had to give him points for that.

"Well? Are they alright?" You pressed wanting to know how your old friends were doing.

"Hey, calm down! One question at a time! I'm fine. And the guys are ok," Ken replied.

You noticed the tone in his voice lower but you paid it no mind. Instead you beamed up at Ken and his enticing eyes of blue-green.

"Are you here by yourself?" He asked.

"No. I'm here with my boyfriend."

There was something in his eyes that dimmed when you said that about Yusuke, but you failed to see it. With great skill Ken held onto his cheerful grin and inquired as to who was the lucky man.

"Haha, he's somewhere. Looking for takoyaki," You pointed behind you.

Ken turned his head to look beyond you. Takoyaki huh? That brought back fond memories for Ken and he teasingly reminded you of one day in the summer four years ago. It had been a shabby day, overcast and dark. He remembered when you came into the flower shop to glance at the bright and beautiful flowers for "some color."

"Oh man, I do remember that! I was though. I needed to lighten up my day. And I also remember when you stopped eating takoyaki and came over to me and tried to speak English," You giggled and smacked his arm lightly.

Ken bashfully rubbed the back of his neck, "Heh, yeah. Jeeze was I bad. I tried and failed horribly when you responded. I thought, Oh no! She's speaking so fast! Then I got Omi to translate for me. I felt like such an idiot."

"Oh c'mon. No you weren't. You gave it your best shot and I was happy you did. I thought it was nice of you," You said easing his embarrassment. "Have you learned any more since then?"

Ken looked upwards and gave a comically shameful face. "Nah. It was too difficult."

You laughed and slipped an arm around his in a friendly, but familiar, way. "I want you to meet Yusuke, come with me."

Ken was grateful that you were two paces ahead, you couldn't see the pale hue of pink grace his caramel cheeks. As you pulled him to the food-court you searched around for Yusuke. Still arm and arm with Ken you caught sight of the Spirit Detective and waved to get his attention.

"Hey Yusuke! Over here!" You shouted over the noisy crowds.

Yusuke looked up from ordering his takoyaki and saw you. With his wide smile he waved to you but his arm slowed when he glimpsed yours around a strange man's. Instantly, Yusuke prickled and took the steaming box of takoyaki. In hurried steps he went over to you. His face was attempting to hide the feelings of curiosity and jealousy he felt seeing this unknown guy with you.

"Yusuke, you got it I see?" You said to the little brownish balls of Yusuke's lunch.

"Yeah. So who's this?" Yusuke's tone was normal but you heard the tense undertone.

Releasing Ken's arm, much to Yusuke's relief, you stood between the two men and made introductions.

"Yusuke, this is Ken Hidaka. He is an old friend from when I first moved to Japan. Ken, this is Yusuke Urameshi, my boyfriend."

Stiffly, both men held out their hands and shook. Their grips were strong, each trying to dominate the other.

"Nice to meet ya," Yusuke said never leaving their eye contact. This Ken was handsome, Yusuke didn't like that and there was an air about him that Yusuke did not favor at all either. Was it the familiarity he showed with you? Better find out later.

"Same to you Yusuke." Ken replied.

The two men stared at each other with assessing expressions. Yusuke undoubtedly picked up on the fact that Ken was taller than he, and that he smelled of fresh flowers. Not only that, but Ken possessed the air of an experienced war vet. As if he had seen his fair share of death, and by that he meant not the deaths of countless demons. No, Ken had seen far worse than that. Who was this prick?

Ken also eyed the detective critically; a fighter Ken assumed. Judging by the detective's stance, Ken knew he had been through many battles, probably street brawls.

Almost on que, Yusuke and Ken thought the same thing: I can take him.

Sensing the heightening testosterone in the air, you thought it best to intervene before they unexpectedly bit each other's heads off.

"Hey, Ken we are going to head off. But give me your cell number and we'll get together. I'd love to catch up," You said pulling out your cell phone from your purse.

Yusuke inhaled slowly, still watching as Ken recited his new number as his old phone was taken.

"That sucks that your phone got stolen. But now I have you in my contact list so maybe sometime next week we can meet up. Unless you're busy," You innocently asked.

Ken smiled nicely at you, "Sure. Next week sounds good to me. How about Wednesday?"

Yusuke looked back and forth between the two of you and chewed on his food with quick bites.

"Perfect! I can't wait. See you then Ken!" You said.

Turning away, Yusuke snaked an arm around your waist, pulling you close to his side. Feeling the pair of teal pools driving into his back, Yusuke glanced back towards Ken and flashed a superior smirk. Ken saw it and frowned back at the detective.

Once the crowd had swallowed up the dark haired Ken, Yusuke leaned down and gave you a kiss on your cheek.

"Did you eat?" He asked.

"No. I got distracted. I can't believe how nice it was to see Ken again." You said looking up at Yusuke.

The detective bristled as he held you, "So, how do you know him exactly?"

" He used to deliver flowers to the hotel where I worked. He is very nice and knows a lot about gardening and maintaining flowers. I used to call him at the flower shop for advice on how to care for my house plants."

Yusuke noticed the happiness with which you secreted as you talked about Ken and his flowers.

"You guys ever go out?" He blurted.

"Ha! No, just friends." You veered over to a smoothie stand.

"Friends huh? I don't think Ken sees it that way."

"What do you mean?" You ordered a small berry smoothie.

Yusuke gave a look. "Seriously? The guy was all over you whenever you spoke. I saw the look in his eyes."

"What look?" You raised your brow with a quick motion.

"The look. It's a guy thing. We can just tell when another guy likes a chick."

You rolled your eyes and tossed your head to the side. "Oh please Yusuke. Ken and I are old friends. Nothing more. I think you were just jealous and saw what you wanted to see."

Yusuke grinned as you stuck out your tongue and continued. "Nah. I know what I saw and he's got the hots for ya. I can't blame him. He's got kickass taste," Yusuke winked.

"Stop, you're making me feel weird Hahaha!" You took the smoothie and sipped the straw.

A few hours later, the two of you were burnt out. Walking for miles around the park, screaming on roller-coasters, getting lost in Fun Houses took its toll. Exhausted and filled with pleasant memories, you and Yusuke decided it was time to go home. The sun had set and now the sky glittered with multi-colored theme lights. The Ferris Wheel was alight with moving patterns that shifted from symbols to geometric shapes. Yusuke had gone off to the restroom before the long way back to Genkai's temple leaving you to watch the giant wheel spin its slow rotation.

You had had such a fantastic day. Spending it with Yusuke and seeing Ken, what a treat. You gently braced your back against a lamp post, careful not to irritate your healing scratches from that morning, and took out your phone. Clicking into your contacts you scrolled down to Ken Hidaka. The blue bar highlighted the florists name and you felt the warm sensations of nostalgia fill your belly.

"Something good happen today?" Came a familiar voice behind you.

Blinking from your stare, you saw angled around and saw Koenma.

"What are you doing here!?" You whispered. "What if people see you?"

"Don't worry. They will just think the pacifier is a Ring Pop," The teen said with a wave.

Shrugging in agreement, you pushed away from the post and went over to him. "What's up? Is there a mission?"

Koenma shook his head calmly. "No. Just checking in. Seeing how you're progressing."

"I'm fine," you said a little suspicious. It was not like Koenma to appear in public much less in his teen form.

"Is there something wrong Koenma?" You asked.

The young prince narrowed his chocolate eyes, "Not exactly. I think we need to talk."

"Why? What happened?"

Koenma lowered his voice and became unusually serious. "It's about—Yu" He stopped upon seeing Yusuke returning. "Never mind. I can come back later. Just know that I have to talk to you soon. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Koenma vanished before you. Startled you scanned the crowds around you to see if they saw a teenaged boy disappear in plain sight. From their disinterest in what you were doing you safely relaxed.

"Phew. That's good. But what was that all about?" You said to yourself.

Yusuke wrangled his way back over to you and put an arm around your shoulders.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'm tired, thanks for today." You said wondering if he had seen Koenma.

"No problem. I'm beat too. Can't wait to get to sleep."

You left the amusement park and walked to Genkai's. There Yusuke gave you a goodnight kiss and faded into the darkness of night.

Resting in his bed, Yusuke stared up at his ceiling. Ken Hidaka. There's a danger to him that I can't figure out, he thought. But he had to. It was eating away at him like a disease. He wanted to know more about this man whom you knew. This guy who stared at you with those caring eyes. Raising his Spirit Energy Yusuke contacted the only person he knew who could help: Koenma.

Wednesday

Checking in the reflection of the bar window one final time, you confidently walked into the dimly lit bar. Spotting Ken quickly, you went over to the seated young man. All week you had waited for this. Training with Genkai went well, and so you looked at this little jaunt as a reward for your hard work. Ken swiveled on the bar stool and motion for you to join him. Coming over you hugged the tall young man and took the seat beside him. Ken looked dashing in a pair of dark jeans and a pale button down oxford. He tanned skin turned bronze under the bar's glow, causing his teal eyes to stand out. Music started in the background, an upbeat tune that inspired many to take to the dancefloor.

"You look amazing," he praised.

You smiled and thanked him. The casual wrap dress you had chosen to wear was nothing special, you wanted to dress comfortably given the summer heat. Ken would not hear of it and insisted that you looked fabulous.

"I mean it. It's nice on you."

You giggled and ordered rum on the rocks. " You stop. You're so bad Ken. No wonder your shop was always packed with gaggling girls. And I thought the sweet talk came from Yoji."

Ken chuckled, "It did. I never said those cheesy lines. Yoji always never helped to get them out so we could work. What a hassle that was."

Ken ordered a scotch. You mused at that. "Scotch huh? Never pegged you for spirits. You look more like a beer drinker to me Ken."

Ken gave an amused grunt and took his drink from the bar tender. "It's the soccer."

"Yup. That's what it is Ken. You look like a beer drinker because of the soccer," You joked.

Taking his glass, Ken turned to you and held it forward. "Here's to hanging out."

You too raised your glass of rum and clinked it to his. "To hanging out."

Each taking sips, you savored the thick rum in your mouth, letting it burn your throat. It sank in your gut like lead and you hummed as it settled.

"So Ken, tell me what you've been up to? You still playing soccer?"

Ken set his chin in his right hand. "Yeah here and there. I'm coaching kids now so that's cool."

"That's nice. I bet you love it. You always liked kids. But I'm surprised that you're still around here. With your talent I figured you moved to Europe to pursue your pro soccer career again."

Ken turned up a corner of his mouth. "No. Still here. Course, staying here was not my idea. I had no choice."

"Oh? Why's that?" You asked.

Ken looked at you with a side long glance. "Because I was in prison for two years."

Hearing that nearly felled you from your seat. Prison? What the hell?

"What do you mean you were in prison? For what?" Then it dawned on you. "Don't tell me…"

"No. Not because of Weiss. I admitted to having ties with the Takatori family. You could say I entered of my own free will." Ken took another sip of his scotch.

You sighed. At least he was not incarcerated due to his involvement in Weiss. Nonetheless you were dismayed at the prospect of him willingly going to prison. Yet you chose to look on the bright side. That was good, it meant that Omi, Yoji, and Aya were free. But were they safe?

"I suppose that's why you mentioned your phone was taken. Are the guys ok?" You asked.

Ken nodded. "Yeah. Yoji is living the married life now."

"What!?" You exclaimed. "Yoji's married? Since when?"

"Since a year ago. He seems happy. Omi's taken over Weiss now too."

"Wow. I had no idea. And Aya? What about him?"

Ken paused. "Aya went to New York and we haven't heard from him. I got a report from Omi around a week ago though that he was last seen in London."

You listened intently. The rum was beginning to take effect and you felt your cheeks warm. "New York? Why there?"

Ken shrugged, his face sad. "I don't know really. Probably wanted to get away from all of the shit in Weiss. I saw him off at the airport. He seemed content."

You finished your rum and ordered another. You were going to need more booze for this conversation.

"Jesus Ken. And you were then put in prison?"

Ken nodded and downed the last of his drink.

"Yup. So that's been my life since we last spoke. Pretty messed up right?"

"I'll say. So—are you still a Weiss?"

"I'm not sure. With Aya gone, it's like Weiss has broken apart. I don't know where I stand with it."

You grew pensive. "I see. When were you released?"

The thought of Ken behind bars made you sick and you wracked your brain to get the unruly image out of your mind.

"I got out last month. I never expected to see you again so when we ran into each other in Odaiba, you can imagine my surprise."

"Oh completely. I mean what are the odds? But I'm glad that we did Ken. I missed you and the guys. If I had known about your situation I would have helped."

Ken quietly watched you as you spoke. Old tales of hardship and friendship mingled into one long conversation that lasted for hours into the night. You kept your adventures with Spirit Energy, becoming the future Spirit Detective of the Earth, and everything else about that aspect of your life a secret. Ken wouldn't get it anyway. His Spirit Energy was nill, you sensed, and he was therefore blind to yours. Nevertheless you thoroughly enjoyed his company. Ken talked with you as if those years away from one another were mere minutes. You laughed, cried, and celebrated getting reacquainted.

You pulled Ken onto the dance floor when the opportunity arose. Merging with the dozens of other couples, you and Ken gleefully moved to the beat. It had been such a long time since you danced and Ken was more than happy to join you. Twisting your hips and catching the beat with skill, you danced and danced. Ken's smile never left his face. You danced three songs together and you found yourself getting lost in those sultry teal pools. Perhaps it was the lighting that accentuated his sexy eyes and jaw line, perhaps it was the liquor pulsing through your veins that enhanced your flushed cheeks, either way you noticed how inexplicably handsome Ken was. You laughed inside for you hardly perceived it beyond the obvious fact. But those sweeping bangs devilishly low over his right eye, the deep cocoa of his hair, the fresh smell of his cologne mixed with his skin made the rum in your blood stronger.

After the third song, you and Ken went over to the bar and ordered more drinks. This night with Ken was turning out to be more fun than you initially assumed.

Towards midnight, and several drinks in, you were both fairly tipsy. Ken was grinning all night and you were just as happy to be there. Thoughts of what Yusuke had said about Ken liking you as more than a friend fizzled away with each drink. Ken didn't see you like that; he was just a caring person. Making to rise, you stumbled back against the table, jostling the empty glasses. Ken giggled stupidly and rose to catch you.

"Hey~ Easy there. C'mon let's go. Before we both end up with bruises."

Laughing hysterically you swung an arm across his shoulders and heaved yourself away with him. The refreshing night air sobered you up a little and you could navigate without looking at the ground. Now if you made it home without throwing up that would be a triumph. How could you have let yourself get this drunk? Before you started beating yourself over it, you were pulled sideways by Ken's sagging form.

"Woah! Hey Ken stand up. We only got a few more blocks left until we reach your apartment right?"

Ken droned in response. "Mmmhmm. It's over there."

You fell into another fit of laughter at his drunkenness and pulled him along. Finally reaching the front of his apartment building, you blundered up the steps to his floor. By then alcohol had worn off slightly and you set him up outside his door.

"Ok Ken. Here's where I leave you."

You went to stumble away when Ken's hand shot out and grabbed your wrist.

"What is it Ken?" You pondered half awake.

Ken was silent for a few seconds, gathering the garbled messes that were his thoughts. Then slowly, methodically, he spoke.

"You know, I always liked you (y/n). N' not like a friend, friend. You know? I really liked you. That's why I always asked to be on the deliveries for your hotel. N'stead of Yoji. But I never got the nerve to tell you or ask you out. And I should have. Damn. Then the shit with Weiss went down with Esset and Epitaph…n'Omi going all prick-like on us and leavin Weiss. Then me gettin thrown in jail. Phew—fuckin' A was I a moron. Oh well, I better get to bed before I piss myself," Ken mumbled.

But you heard it loud and clear. In fact, his little confession evaporated any traces of booze in your system.

"Say that again?" You said hesitantly.

Ken's glassy eyes lazily searched your face. Bringing your hand to his lips, Ken kissed your palm. Your face went pale. This was not happening! Ken was not telling you he cared for you! Oh my gosh, Yusuke had been right!

"K…Ken, I know it's the scotch talking right now. C'mon go to bed and I'll call you in the morning." You said trying to pull away from his soft mouth.

Ken was not budging and his hold on your wrist kept up.

"It's not the drinks. I'm being serious."

You began to get nervous. Over what though? You thought. So what? Ken as a crush on you. Big deal. A crush you had no idea existed however. Sure you loved Ken, but never had you considered this possibility. The moon's crescent light played upon the ground below you, casting liquid shadows in the surrounding trees and bushes. For some reason this scenario was awfully familiar. Suddenly you were struck with feelings of déjà vu and you realized that Yusuke too had confessed on a night like this.

"Ken, I think there has been a misunderstanding. If I gave the wrong impression I'm sorry, I don't know what I could have said or done to make you feel like this all of a sudden. I know you just got out of prison and that you may be wanting some source of comfort but…"

"It has nothing to do with that. This goes back way before my stint in prison. Like I said, I should've asked you out when I was delivering flowers to you."

The air became uncomfortable and you found it hard to concentrate. "Ken, I—,"

The abrupt pressing of his lips to yours froze you in place. Wide eyed you watched as he proceeded to kiss you; the slight angle of his neck allowing for the fluorescent lights lining the apartment building's roof to outline the sharp contours of his neck and cheekbones. Your heart pounded rabidly against your chest and you went to pull away. When the connection between you ended you opened your mouth in protest.

"Ken!"

But again Ken kissed you. This time he eased his tongue over yours. The taste of scotch was strong on him. You tried to push him away but, like Yusuke, Ken was strong against you. His height caused your neck to bend back and be cradled by his left hand. You resisted the urge to shove him away with your Spirit Energy, knowing that you might hurt him accidentally. Plus, you didn't want him to think you were a freak being pushed back by an invisible force. What options were left to you? Kicking him in the nads was out of the question. Inside, the hot muscle gently coaxed yours into play. Your mouth moved on its own with his, like it was separate from you.

Ken was ensconced into the kiss; his eyes closed and his thick lashes resting on his face. Next to him, you felt how much more "developed" Ken was than Yusuke. Being an ex-professional soccer player, Ken had the height and build of an athlete. And being a former goalie, Ken's arms and legs were longer than the detective's. Long enough to hold you to him with little effort. Even though you were in this position, your mind wandered.

It could be worse, you thought. Ken, despite being wasted, was a fairly decent kisser. In your mind you compared him to Yusuke: Ken's mouth was sweet, tender and lacked the firmness that Yusuke possessed. Yusuke's kisses were more forceful and domineering as it was his personality. Your brain flashed to Yusuke, your boyfriend, and you immediately felt shame. If Yusuke ever found out about this from any one either than you, it would be disastrous. So you prayed that there was no one you knew watching this tonight.

Deeming it time to leave you closed your mouth to Ken and retracted yourself from him. Ken fell away from you as if nothing happened and bade you goodnight. Blaming the booze he had consumed you hurried back to Genkai's. All the while your conscience and gut waged war.

"How could I have let that happen!? So stupid (y/n)! You're so fucking stupid! Oh, please Universe let us not have been seen by anyone I know."

However, fate can be cruel for it just so happened that you were being watched. Oh yes. Watched and photographed the entire distance from Ken's apartment to Genkai's property line. The shutter clicked countless times from the girlishly pink casing of the flip-top cell phone safely hidden behind the bushes nearby.


	14. Chapter 14: Fun While it Lasted

Yusuke reader chap 14

The whole morning passed by in a haze; a haze so thick you barely remembered if you had brushed your teeth before breakfast. Or after breakfast? Did you even do it at all? Besides waking, did you recall the actions of your daily routines that lead to the training grounds? The truth is you didn't.

Staid, you spent the first half of your training exercises with Genkai staring into space. The old woman knew that whatever was interrupting you concentration had to be very important because, usually, you were quick as a pit viper. But today, your movements were delayed and your defenses weak. When you attacked it lacked precision. Your Spirit Arrows flitted off like shards of broken glass. To Genkai, a distracted mind was a waste of time. It irritated her. Spending her time teaching you how to manage your powers was laborious and consuming. The fact that you came to learn whilst faded and far away, frustrated her.

But she kept right on going. Forcing you back into reality with quick strikes and sporadic fists and feet, Genkai pushed you to strike back.

"Come on girl! What's going on inside that head of yours? Wake your lazy ass up and come get me!" The old psychic ran to your right, low and ready to spring.

Pivoting on your left foot, you swung around to face the old woman. Anticipating her Spirit Reflection Blast technique, you brought your legs together and rotated them over your head in four expert backflips. You briefly thought back to the time when you stated doing a backflip would never happen and you inwardly grinned. Landing soundly on the ground, you stood in defense against your mentor. Yet as you braced yourself, the cars connected to your train of thoughts followed the short tracks of: defense, goalie, soccer…Ken. Easing your shoulders your eyes wandered. Your mouth aged into a frown as images from last night flooded back in.

Genkai saw your posture revert back to its self- induced hypnosis and gritted her teeth.

"Listen girl, I don't know what your problem is today but I'm on a tight schedule! You think you're the only slacker here in need of my help? Unless you snap out of whatever relationship crap your dwelling over, I'm calling it done for the day!"

Upon hearing relationship crap, you turned unblinking eyes towards the old woman.

"How did you know?" you asked.

Genkai tossed her head, the wavy dirty-pink hair splaying on her shoulders. "What else can make a girl loose her focus?"

"You see right through me Genkai. I'm just a bit…confused I guess," You stared off again, in deep thought.

"Look, I know Yusuke can be a prick sometimes, but he shouldn't get in between your training. Who knows, you might dump him in the next few months when he finally grinds on your nerves but your training is permanent. I'm speaking from experience. You have great potential (y/n) and I do not want to see it wasted on some boy. Even if that boy is Yusuke. So quite slacking."

You grinned and felt your mind return to you. "You're right Genkai. How motherly of you. But I don't think I've been slacking that much."

Genkai snorted. "You have. Yusuke is far more entertaining than the lessons of a dried up old hag, I am aware. But that is no excuse to half-ass your way through practice."

You laughed and rubbed your face. "Wow. Never pictured hearing that from you Genkai. And your lessons are by far more entertaining," you joked. "Who else can make me run for my life than you?"

"I'll take that as a compliment. By the way, Koenma came to me early this morning. He was asking for you. Says it's important. Is it?"

"That's so weird. He showed up at the amusement park last night when I was with Yusuke and said the same thing. I have no idea what he wants though. I think it might have something to do with Yusuke." You responded with a shrug.

"What makes you say that?" Genkai folded her hands behind her back.

You cocked your head, "I don't know. Before he left, Koenma said Yu…like he was going to say Yusuke's name but he vanished before he could finish."

Genkai looked at the clear sky, stern eyes staring straight into heaven. "Well, we'll see."

After your little talk, training went fairly well. Genkai had upped her workload, introducing you to several of her own techniques. Showing remarkable skill in learning them in such a short time, you gained confidence. Genkai was impressed with you and moved you from one trick to the next. Making up for the fact that she had given the Spirit Wave to Yusuke, she taught you other moves. The ones you grasped quickly were Paralyzing Touch, Shockwave, and Spirit Barrier. These were very practical and would be the most useful in life. Shockwave you especially liked. In essence, you projected your Spirit Energy outward in "telekinetic" ripples capable of clearing away anything in your path. Paralyzing Touch could come in handy, you surmised thinking of all of the gross guys who've hit on you in the past.

And Spirit Barrier accentuated your own shield which you had used in your fight with Yusuke. Genkai, when she felt it necessary, called for a short break around midday. You returned to the main temple compound sweaty and hot, completely unaware of the small yet formidable hand that connected viciously to your left cheek. The cracking blow came from nowhere and it took five seconds to regain your bearings. Adrenaline raced through you and your anger flared. Your Spirit Energy surrounded you in whip-like flames.

"What the fuck!?" You snarled.

"How dare you! How dare you do that to Yusuke!"

You knew instantly who had hit you, taking time to process the feminine voice. "Keiko? The hell's the matter with you, you psycho?"

Yusuke's ex glowered at you in her choice wardrobe of a pink and white dress. You thought it ironic that such a cute dress was being worn by a girl who seemingly wanted to kill you. Keiko's usually large brown eyes were narrow and fierce. Her mouth was a twisted knot of rage, the cause of which you were uncertain.

"What the fuck are you talking about Keiko? What have I done to Yusuke?" You asked spitting your words while easing up on your energy.

Calmly, pointedly, Keiko replied. "I saw you. Last night. With that guy."

Panic gripped your heart and your eyes widened to saucers. "You saw that?"

"Yes," she hissed. "Though I have to say I'm not surprised. You being…"

"What Keiko? What am I? An American? A boyfriend stealer? Go on you can say it. Tell me what I am."

The brazen girl clenched her fists, "Yes! All of those things! I loved Yusuke but you took him from me!"

"I did not take him from you Keiko. He fell in love with me. Ok?" You said pointing to your chest for emphasis.

That did it to the girls' short fuse. Keiko rushed towards you with her hand ready to strike. "How dare you do this to him! You cheating slut!"

Side stepping her, she missed and stumbled.

You rolled her harsh words around in your mind: A slut? Ok if that's how she wanted to play…

"Oh really? I'm a slut? This coming from the crazy bitch who hit Yusuke, stalked me, and is now assaulting me? You're lucky I don't call the police for this."

Keiko turned about and ran at you. With her hands outstretched as if to strangle you, she continued to harass.

"Yusuke is a good guy (y/n)! How could you cheat on him!? A girl like you deserves everything she gets!"

You took offense to that and narrowed your eyes. Your face darkened dangerously as she approached. She was coming at you to hurt you, and despite the fact that you were told not to use your powers on normal humans, you felt a force grow inside. It began in your chest, and then moved to your forehead. All you focused on was Keiko. Her quick feet carried her closer to you. If only she would stop, you thought. For though you could easily subdue her, doing so might result in serious injuries on her part. And that made you quite vexed.

I need a harmless way to make her stop!

Looking at her legs, a sharp point of energy released from your forehead, wrapped around Keiko's body and held still. As if encased in lead, Keiko came to a halt. Plumes of dust and dirt rose around her ankles.

"What did you do to me!?" She screamed.

"I…I'm not sure. But now that you're standing there pay attention. What you saw, Keiko, first of all was none of your business. Second of all, it was an accident."

"That's not how Yusuke sees it." She retorted angrily.

You paused. "…What do you mean, 'that's not how Yusuke sees it'?"

Keiko forced a tiny smirk, an attempt to hide her fear of you and your ability to render her immobile.

"Well, while you were locked to that guy I got the evidence I needed. Yusuke saw the photos."

"You took photographs of me?" You asked demandingly.

"Yes. They were quite good too. When Yusuke saw them, he got very upset. He even said that he was going to that guy's house to confront him."

"He did not!" You yelled comprehending the ramifications should Yusuke seriously harm Ken.

Yusuke could be detained by Spirit World security; he could even be thrown into their prisons.

" I must admit, your lack of tact impresses me. I never expected you to stoop so low." You stated all the while regarding her with flashing teeth and furrowed brows. "I hate to burst your bubble though Keiko, but Yusuke is not so foolish as to do something like that."

"Well, I just might be."

Spinning around, you saw Yusuke leaning against the trunk of a large pine.

"How long have you been here?" You asked breathlessly.

The detective came over to you, his hands in his pockets. "Long enough."

You felt the worry and shame rise in you and you held his gaze. Looking away was weak, and you had to be strong.

"Nice of you to send you attack dog to me before coming yourself."

Yusuke remained emotionless. "Let her go, (y/n)."

"Are you serious?" You asked. "Do you know what she tried to do to me?"

"Yeah and if you do something stupid then you'll be thrown in with the dregs of Spirit World's finest, now let her go."

Still glaring at him, you mentally released your hold on Keiko. She fell forward.

"Keiko showed me the pictures. It was that Ken dude wasn't it? The one from the amusement park?" Yusuke questioned.

His voice was still and cold. "Explain to me what happened."

You held your ground. Standing like a statue you spoke in an authoritative tone, one that dismisses any potential for questions.

"We went out to a bar and got caught up. Then I walked him home and he made a move."

"And it never occurred to you to push him away?" Yusuke interjected.

"Ken is a lot like you. He is very stubborn and hard-headed. I couldn't push him away because I knew if I did then he would be hurt. Ken is strong, so I would have to use force against him. I chose not to for his safety."

Yusuke seemed unconvinced. "That's bullshit. I told you he was checking you out that day at Odaiba. And I saw how you were with him, all giggly and shit. For an ex J-leaguer, I was surprised that he was able to walk around undetected. But then it hit me. That's some track record, being thrown out of the J-league for some gambling and drug use."

You were appalled and furious that Yusuke dared to delve into someone's private history. "How do you know that? Ken was innocent. He was framed."

Yusuke shrugged. "I don't give a flying fuck what happened to him. But what I do know is that his next choice of work is very interesting. Must be nice to have a Weiss in your back pocket huh? No one will mess with you then right?"

You froze in place. The sun, wind, birds all receded and went unnoticed. A ringing in your ears deafened you to noise and your eyes went blind as you circulated every detail of Ken's life. There is no way Yusuke could know Ken was a Weiss. That information was classified! How did he find out?

"I take your silence as I've hit the nail on the head." He said.

"Leave Ken out of this. I'm the one to blame for last night, not him." You steadfastly stated.

Your teeth ached from being clenched, your heart fluttered in your chest. Fucking Ken! Why did he have to kiss you! Why?!

"I don't understand, what's a Weiss?" Keiko chimed in from behind.

"Shut the fuck up Keiko or I swear I will make your life a living hell!" You snapped while facing your boyfriend.

Yusuke kept glaring at you with ever sharpening blades in his eyes. He knew he should've followed you to the bar. In his gut Yusuke had known Ken's past friendship with you ran deeper than you expected. True the affection had be a secret, guarded by one side. But the fact remains that given the chance, Ken Hidaka acted upon his feelings. He had kissed you, another man's girl. That little tidbit of stinging information Yusuke could deal with; however the principle of the thing was that you did not push his advances away. And for Yusuke, that hurt the most.

"I want the truth (y/n). I've been nothing but good to you. I love you, and when you told me that you felt the same way I was so happy. I saw no one else but you. And then this happens—I know you have a history with this guy. And while I don't know what you two went through four years ago…but no matter what you say or believe, Ken obviously still has feelings for you. I guess what I'm getting at is…do you care for him?"

You feared Yusuke would proposition you with this. His stolid voice never quivered yet you caught the disappointment in his vibe. Yusuke was a master at hiding his emotions when it came to it, it was his natural defense. He wanted the truth; a truth that you yourself were contemplating at that very moment. Sure you and Ken had been close friends way back when—playing soccer, chilling at the flower shop on slow days and on your breaks, and learning new facts about the many species he grew alongside Aya, Omi, and Yoji. In a short time, you got to know Ken quite well. He was sensitive, kind, and absolutely hated injustice.

His hair was shorter then too, you remembered. He said he'd never let is hair get long because he did not want to look like Yoji. You fondly recalled that drizzly afternoon, a cup of tea steaming on the table before you. Your laughter mixed with Omi's as Yoji and Ken spat insults back and forth. Aya remained impassive to the whole scene, but nonetheless ghosted a grin when no one was watching.

Ken came out victorious in the end. The five of you spent the rest of your half hour break in jubilant smiles, with the exception of Aya, until you headed back to your hotel. You remembered Ken offering to walk you back. He held the umbrella over you, keeping you dry but resulting in him becoming wet and damp. But he didn't mind, all he did was flash that charming smile of his. After that, Ken walked you back to your place of employment every day. When you got of work, he waited outside for you. When you placed company orders for lobby flowers, Ken always delivered. In fact, Ken was around you every possible moment he could spare. No matter the circumstance, Ken always was there—together with that smile.

Oh my God. A tsunami of realization incapacitated you. Why didn't you see it sooner? You had to rationalize the situation and your mind came up with pretty interesting conclusions. Was that subconsciously why you dated Yusuke? Because he reminded you of Ken? Yusuke had the sexy smile, the drive to subdue those that escaped justice, a strong sense of loyalty. Yusuke and Ken, Ken and Yusuke; Weiss and a Spirit Detective. Fighting in the shadows to protect mankind from evil, both risking their lives. But this was insane! You didn't feel like that for Ken, you barely knew he did for you. One kiss after four years was not enough to flip a switch in you. But you didn't pull away! Why not!? You didn't recall thinking any romantic thoughts when Ken made his move. Yet then again, does one necessarily have to? And who says that a switch can't flip after four years and one kiss? But by thinking that you may actually have some unearthed emotions towards Ken, did that mean you were grasping at straws? Nonsense! You loved Yusuke…although you did hesitate when he told you he loved you. Sure you reciprocated, but you paused nonetheless.

You abhorred this! Why can't life be simple! Yusuke waited for your response. He needed an answer from you, and you hesitated. He wanted the truth? Fine, then he can have it.

"I can't say. I honestly don't have a suitable answer for you Yusuke."

His temper flared behind those dark pools and Yusuke frowned. "Then I need time to think this over."

"So does that mean you want us to take a break?" You asked stonily.

"Yeah…I guess it does."

You inhaled deeply. You felt such anger. Angry at the deep grave in which you found yourself, anger towards Yusuke, anger towards Ken. You needed to take control of this right now.

"Well, let us rephrase this hmm? Actually, I need a break from you Yusuke. Sending Keiko here to confront me like that was unacceptable. I will not stand for it. The next time you have a problem with me, I expect you to come yourself. Now if you would kindly get out of my way, my training is finished for the day. I'm going out."

Walking past Yusuke, eyes forward, you waited until you reached the bottom of Genkai's steps before raising yourself high into the air. Using your powers, you hurled in the direction of Ken's apartment. Your emotions so far out of whack distracted you from the fear of being seen. Upon arriving, you lowered to the ground. His motorcycle was parked outside his door, chained to the railing. Ken's door was partially open. Not bothering with propriety you barged inside, catching the teal eyed Weiss member off guard.

Ken was hunched over stacks of boxes, his belongings being stored away in preparation for his trip to London.

So, he has decided to go looking for Aya, you thought.

"(y/n) what are you doing here? What's wrong? You look stressed out." Putting down the folded shirts and bundled socks onto a nearby box, he gazelle stepped over the scattered packages to get to you.

When he was in range, you wrenched back your right/left wrist and clocked poor Ken in the jaw.

"Why did you kiss me!?" Your voice rose an octave as Ken's head slowly rotated back to face front.

Ken gently touched the sore spot developing from your rather non-girly punch. "For the same reason that I told you about. Seshus! You came to my home to pound my face in? Where'd you learn to hit like that?"

"That doesn't matter. How can you like me like that? When did it start?" You were seething. But you were also curious.

"What do you mean? I don't know why, I just do. I've liked you since the first time I delivered flowers to your hotel. And that deserves me getting hit?"

Ken nursed the forming bruise. "You punch like a guy."

Fixing a glare, you folded your arms in front of your chest. "Well, that little kiss you pulled has gotten me into a shit storm of trouble."

Ken stopped playing with his face and warily eyed you. "What do you mean trouble?"

"My boyfriend found out and now he's suggesting a break. Well, he suggested it but I implemented it."

"Oh jeeze. I'm sorry to hear that (y/n)." Ken said with concern. "I didn't mean to break you guys up."

"Yeah well, we are now so…I'm in the middle of trying to process it I guess. Sorry I hit you." You said in a huff, setting your hands on your hips and looking around his boxed home.

"For someone who just broke up with their boyfriend, you don't seem too upset. Sad I mean," Ken cautiously interjected when you snapped a threatening gaze on him.

"No. I'm pissed off. Do you know that son of a botch sent his ex-girlfriend, his EX, to accuse me? That's how I got this!" You pointed to the swollen red spot where Keiko hit you. "The fact he did that has taken away any remorse for our breakup at the moment. What a shitty thing to do right? I mean…cut me a freaking break."

You stormed about, pacing and whipping your arms. Ken watched you, giving you a wide birth in his otherwise cramped apartment. You, in your anger, were mindful not to let your powers seep out and wreck Ken's home; Even though you wanted nothing more at that point than to destroy something.

Ken felt his own frustration rise; he did not know Yusuke but his actions with sending Keiko to harass you about the incident darkened his features. He felt an overwhelming urge to pound Yusuke into the pavement. What kind of an ass does that? But then Ken thought of something else…something that he just caught.

"Hey, (y/n)?"

"What?" You answered.

"When did this happen?"

"15 minutes ago."

"And where do you live exactly?" Ken asked raising a brow.

You faltered. "I live across town."

"Then, how'd you get here so fast?"

You froze. Oh that's easy Ken, because I flew here! You ridiculed yourself.

"I ran."

Ken looked at you incredulously. "You ran?"

"Yes."

Then a voice from behind you spoke. "You haven't told him about you yet have you?"

Spinning like a defensive tiger, you hissed. "You followed me Yusuke?"

The Spirit Detective saw Ken behind you and raised his fist.

"You! I'll kill you!" Yusuke charged like a mad bull.

Ken quickly dodged Yusuke's assault, hitting his foot on a box. The strength in his legs from his goalie days kept him upright but Ken found his neck twisted to the side from Yusuke's punch.

"You basterd! I'll end you for kissing my girl!" Yusuke shouted grabbing Ken's shirt collar.

Ken angled his teal gaze towards an open box behind Yusuke. Inside was what he needed; his baghnakh. The sleek glove containing those five slender claws was tucked away for shipment and Ken mentally shot himself. As an assassin he should always place his weapon within reach. But as Yusuke made for another teeth chattering blow, Ken rammed his head forward in a head-butt. Catching Yusuke square in the forehead, the detective released Ken's shirt and backed away.

"Ah! Shit! You little prick!" Yusuke grabbed the collision spot, trying to refocus his eyes to find the agile Weiss member.

You watched as Ken lounged for the open box, tearing through it as if it were a piece of meat.

"Got it!" Ken pulled on the tight leather gloves, each equipped with five razor sharp blades no shorter than seven inches long.

Yusuke whirled about to see Ken braced and ready. The killers gleam alight in his teal eyes, Ken spat at the detective:

"You did this to her! What sort of spineless weakling has his ex-girlfriends fight his battles for him?"

Yusuke's deathly glare set the atmosphere to ice. The two locked in a stare down: one a trained assassin, the other a delinquent Spirit Detective. Ken was impressive with his height and muscular form. Yusuke was also intimidating. His battle hardened body tense and his energy fixed on Ken.

You had to do something and fast. Yusuke would use his Shot Gun, of this you knew. He was already gearing up his energy into his right fist, although Ken was blind to the swirling blue Spirit Energy. You saw it clear as day and you panicked. If Yusuke shot Ken, which he was going to do, Yusuke would kill Ken. The force of the Shot Gun would tear Ken apart. Ken was formidable; there was no question about that. In a hand to hand fight, you were uncertain as to who would come out the winner. But against Spirit Energy, Ken had no idea. It was like shooting someone in the back. The most Ken could probably sense was the air pressure change.

Then it hit you! What if you used that new trick you employed on Keiko? The immobilization one? That was a technique Genkai never taught you. It was all yours. You could always send your Spirit Arrows at Yusuke, but then again, you didn't want Ken to see Yusuke being picked up and thrown against the wall by an unseen force. As a practitioner of Spirit Energy and one who is familiar with Spirit World, it went against regulations to let an outsider (a regular human) see your craft if you could help it.

The blue orb was nearing its full size around Yusuke fist, time was running out.

"I'm going to take you down," Ken spat with acerbity.

Yusuke just grinned. "I doubt that."

"Yusuke! Don't do it," You warned in a chilly voice.

"So now you're defending him too? That pisses me off even more," Yusuke growled at you still fixed on the assassin.

"Yusuke, I'm warning you—if you harm Ken I will stop you." Your voice had lowered to a timbre reminiscent of your power rising.

"Not unless you want him to see!" Yusuke shot back.

"What the hell are you two talking about? I thought you were going to fight me not her!" Ken chided with a smirk.

Yusuke spat onto his floor. "We are still going to fight, I'm just giving you time to back out before I finish this."

"Yusuke! I swear I will not let you hurt Ken. Stop now before you do something you'll regret," You gave your final caution.

Yusuke ignored you and pulled back his fist to thrust it forward. In conjunction with his arm, you jolted your head back as your chord of white Spirit Energy shot from your forehead and spiraled around Yusuke's form. You saw his chocolate eyes widen in disbelief as he was instantaneously held fast, his Shot Gun fizzing out from the strength of your Energy. There he was, still as a statue, his body in mid-attack. Yusuke, try as he might, could not move. With his heart pounding in his ears, the detective snarled:

"What the hell is this!? What happened!?"

Calmly, almost too calmly, you approached him and narrowed your eyes. Coming to his left, you dragged your gaze slowly over your handiwork. Yusuke followed your head motions, knowing that you rendered him useless.

"I told you to stop. You should've listened Yusuke. But, then again, you always rushed into things. Reckless, hotheaded, that's you." You said.

Ken, not knowing why Yusuke had stopped short, taunted him. "What? Not going to attack me now? C'mon what's stopping ya?"

"I am." You answered.

"How are you doing this!?" Yusuke demanded.

Ken, meanwhile, had eased up from his defense and was now looking from you to Yusuke.

"What exactly do you mean 'I am?'"

Figuring what could the harm be now in telling him, you turned to Ken and began to explain.

"Yusuke can't move because I won't let him. You see, I have this…gift. Yusuke has it too. And for the past four years, we have been training to control and manage our gifts. No one else knows of this. Except you and a select few others."

Ken gave you curious looks. "What do you mean you have gifts? You mean to tell me that you stopped him from moving with what? Your mind? That can't be true. The only person I know who can do stuff like this is Nagi Naoe."

"No, Ken. Nagi has telekinesis. I have something different, but it's similar. I use my Spirit Energy."

"What's Spirit Energy then?" Ken asked wide eyed.

Sighing you tried to figure out how to tell him. "I can utilize my aura, basically, and project that into attacks. That's how I stopped Yusuke from killing you. You see, you have no heightened Spirit Awareness (the ability to see ghosts), so as a result, your Spirit Energy is normal. Normal people cannot see what Yusuke and I see. If I had let Yusuke attack you, he would have obliterated you."

While you described this to Ken, he was eyeing Yusuke murderously. "You wanted to kill me? With something I can't see?"

"I can't believe you're protecting him (y/n)! Don't you realize what he is? He's a Weiss! A murderer!" Yusuke shot at the assassin.

"I know full well what Ken is Yusuke. I accept his history. I also know that you dug into Spirit World's records to find his file. That is shameful and I'm surprised you went that far. But I forgive you for it. What I won't forgive you for is hurting my friend. That I cannot, will not allow."

"I find it hard to swallow that you're using your powers against me. This is the first time you've done that." Yusuke said a bit dejectedly.

It was true. You had never used your Energy against Yusuke in defense of someone else. That notion made you stop. But you as the next Spirit Detective of Earth had to protect those with normal Energy from terrors. And right now, Yusuke was one of those threats.

"You left me no choice. If you had killed Ken, you would be arrested by the Special Defense Force. As they are ordered to patrol and control the boundaries between our world and Spirit World, someone with your power level would have to be taken by them. You would be tried and convicted. And Ken would be dead. I did it to save both of your lives." You said.

Yusuke looked down at the floor, your words settling in.

Ken processed the events with admirable ease and understood the situation. "I guess it's a good thing you did come over then. But, digressing to my earlier question of how you got here, did you do something with that too?"

You nodded. "Yes. In addition to my gifts, one of them is my ability to fly."

"You know Koenma's going to pitch a fit about this?" Yusuke interjected.

"Yeah, I have a feeling he is."

Ken whisked his sweeping bangs aside and frowned. "Who's Koenma?"

"That we can't tell you." You both said.

Ken huffed and slapped his hands on his thighs. Removing his claws, Ken ordered for Yusuke to leave. He needed to talk to you alone. So, releasing Yusuke from your hold, the detective mouthed for you to meet him at his apartment later that night, Koenma wanted to speak to you both, and wordlessly left. His pride cracked.

Once Yusuke was out of earshot, Ken asked for the truth. You and Ken spent the next few hours discussing your abilities and talents. Ken, ever the sport about things, listened intently. He let you explain in detail what you could do, about demons, and your role as the next Spirit Detective. You even demonstrated your powers for him, moving a box from point A to B with your Energy. After that, Ken was enthralled, despite the swollen bruise from your earlier punch now fully formed on his jaw.

"You have to come to London with me. We'll find Aya, and figure out a way to make our lives work. With your gifts we can do anything."

"I can't become an assassin Ken. I'm going to be Spirit Detective. I have to protect people, not kill them. And that includes the ones you hunt."

"But didn't you tell me that you have to protect them from those in power?"

"No. It would be my job to destroy any threat that possesses power like mine and Yusuke's. Human and non-human alike."

"There's bound to be demons in England right? They're not only based in Japan." Ken reasoned with eager excitement and slight apprehension in those teal pools of his.

You rolled your eyes to the side and pursed your lips. "Mmm, I suppose there would be. Probably from the Anglo-Saxon ages and stuff."

"Exactly! What's keeping you here now that Yusuke…"Ken trailed off, the implication lingering.

"Now that I'm single? I don't know." You sighed and leaned back against the wall.

Ken rested his hands in his jeans pockets. "It would mean a lot to me if you came."

You sagged your shoulders. "Ken, I know you've liked me for years. But I can't jump into another relationship just yet. Give me like…a few weeks. So I can get used to being single again." You smiled weakly at the Weiss.

Ken flashed a satisfied smile. "Well, I've waited this long. What are a few weeks?"

You had to chuckle. Then pushing yourself away from the wall, you made to leave.

"I have to talk to Yusuke. It's about our duties. I'll talk to you later thought. When's your flight?"

Ken saw you to his door, the day's light fading into a starry darkness. "Five days."

You nodded, and replied, "You'll have your answer by then. Night Ken."

"Goodnight (y/n)." Before you left, Ken leaned in and gave a gentle kiss to your cheek.

The sweet scent of his tanned skin greeted you first, then the light feel of his mouth. You lingered as long as you deemed appropriate before taking steps away. With your face tingling, your mind tired, and your heart heavy, Ken watched in fascination as you slowly levitated from the ground and soared effortlessly towards Yusuke's home.


	15. Chapter 15: Pain and Fate

Yusuke Reader Chapter 15

You rapped on Yusuke's apartment door three times before you heard the chain latch unlock and clatter on the other side. Yusuke opened the door enough for you to enter then turned. Walking back over to his couch, he slumped heavily onto the cushions. Sitting opposite him in a worn arm chair was Koenma. His teen form alerted you that this meeting contained important matters.

Closing and locking the door behind you, you too took a seat next to Yusuke, who grew slightly tense around you. Looking straight at Koenma, you ignored Yusuke's retractions and proceeded to ask:

"Alright Koenma…I know that you've been hunting me down for the last week. What do you have to tell me? Or us for that matter?"

Folding your arms you leaned forward onto your knees. You had had enough stress today, all you wanted was straightforwardness from everyone. The prince of Spirit World sucked on his pacifier with rapt gravity. You noticed his serious composure and thought it odd.

"Koenma? What is it? What have you been trying to tell me? Us?"

The prince inhaled through his nose. "First off, I think I owe you an apology."

"For what?" You asked giving him an uncertain grin.

"Against my better judgment, I was the one who permitted Yusuke into the Vaults of Life."

You frowned, not entirely surprised by this outcome. "You gave Yusuke Ken's info?"

The prince lowered his caramel eyes. "Yes. It was wrong and both Yusuke and I are very sorry. Which brings me to my primary concern. I needed to tell both of you in person at the same time. I did not want this to be found out any other way. While I was allowing Yusuke to pilfer my vaults, I received orders from my father. Direct orders, in fact, for Yusuke to go to Demon World."

Both you and Yusuke stared wide eyed at Koenma. "What do you mean Yusuke has to go to Demon World? Why? What the hell is happening Koenma" You pressed.

"Yeah. Explain this to me you little brat. Why am I being shipped off to no doubt solve your problems all of a sudden? Why not send Kurama or Hiei? They're demons. Let them figure whatever it is you need figuring out." Yusuke barked frustrated.

"I can't. I wish I could change my dad's mind Yusuke but—this is his choice. He wants you to find out what is causing the Three Kings to stir. If they declare war on each other, this world will ultimately be destroyed. They will find a way to infiltrate this one and use it against one another. I've already enlisted Kuwabara, we will need his skills. Probably more than you know. Kurama and Hiei are on their way too. Those two have their own ways of getting to their world. But you and Kuwabara will have to be sent there by the Special Defense Force."

"Everyone has been summoned for this mission?" You questioned. "Why not me too? I think I should be there to help. As Yusuke's replacement…"

Koenma shifted in his seat. "That's precisely why you were not called in (y/n), because you are Yusuke's replacement. If anything happened and Yusuke was unable to stop the Three Kings from their strife, then our hopes for survival would fall on you as the next Spirit Detective of Earth. Your powers are and will be stronger than Yusuke's now. Should the need arise, you will be called to finish what Yusuke and the others, heaven forbid, cannot."

"So who's the ass behind all of this?" Yusuke asked leaning forward same as you.

"His name is Lord Yomi. For five hundred years he and the other Kings have disagreed on what to do with humans as a source of food. Yomi is for their consumption, whereas the others are on the fence. One of the Kings is nearing his end anyway, and as soon as his position is freed and his territory is up for the taking, then nothing can stop the inevitable war. This is your responsibility, Yusuke." Koenma said somberly.

Yusuke was on his feet faster than you could register. "Are you saying that these idiots in Demon World can't settle this after five hundred years!?"

Koenma rubbed his face with tired hands. "Yes. You don't understand the politics in Demon World Yusuke. They are complicated and shrouded in mystery as it is. Demons have no care for proper government. They change their laws at whim."

"Why?" You questioned.

"Because every demon wants to be supreme. They will stop at nothing to get what they want."

"So how strong are these Kings?" Yusuke's brazen voice demanded, dripping with an eagerness to fight.

"I honestly don't know," Koenma shrugged. "But if one of them escaped to this world, well…I hate to think of the global ramifications."

There was a long pause between the three of you before you spoke.

"So, what am I supposed to do?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you for the past week. I think it would be in your best interest to leave Japan until this is resolved." Koenma replied gently, sensing your mounting irritation.

"You're sending me away? Where am I gonna go?" you blurted in English.

You turned to Yusuke. "Did you tell him to do this before I got here!? To not include me in whatever Koenma had to say? As some sick revenge against me?"

"No. But I do think it's the best thing for you. You need to be safe." Yusuke answered staring at Koenma.

You gaped at your ex. "I can't believe you. This is stupid! I want to stay! I want to fight!"

Koenma rose and came towards you, "(y/n) please. Come outside with me. There are a few finer points I want to cover with you."

"Fine. I want to hear what you have to say."

Pushing past Yusuke and walking ahead of Koenma, you lead him to Yusuke's balcony. The prince shut the slider and stood next to you.

"How can you send me away Koenma? You brought me here in the first place. I stopped going to school because of you. What am I gonna do when I go wherever I go?"

"You will go back and finish. And you will go on to college. You will be fine."

"How could you possibly know that?" You snapped exasperatedly.

"I am the prince of Spirit World. I am aware of all things…most of the time. And I know that your life will be a great one."

You went quiet, overlooking the city.

"(y/n), as much as this may hurt you, and as fast as this all seems, you must understand that your time with Yusuke has ended. A new chapter of your life is beginning. Don't look at it in dread or worry. Yusuke has a different role to play than you. He will go on, and so will you. I brought you here so you could perfect your abilities with the only person I felt qualified to teach you. And so that you could meet Yusuke. Genkai has taught you well. She will miss you."

"But if I'm gone, then how will I know when my time to be Spirit Detective has come?" You asked in a weak tone, soaking all of what Koenma said in. "Do I look for a giant mushroom cloud in the distance?"

Koenma cracked a tiny grin. "I will come to you and let you know. But for now, you must find a safe place to go."

"You know, Koenma? My life here has been entertaining, hard at times but fun nonetheless. I will miss it." You sighed into the night for it had grown dark. Gradually, you came to accept what Koenma was saying to you. Your life was changing, as much as you didn't want it to right now, it was charging with full force.

"I just wish my destiny could have been different."

Koenma placed a hand on your shoulder in comfort. "Your destiny is what it was meant to be. Yusuke, like all boyfriends, will come and go. The friendship and love you two have, however, will never disappear. And this Ken Hidaka has a part to play in your life as well. Though his role has yet to be seen. I think you should go with him. Find your friend Aya in London. Explore that adventure."

"Has yet to be seen? Or you just can't tell me what's going to happen in my life?" You said with a raised brow.

"That too, yes."

You looked at the prince, the being who brought you to Japan, the one who allowed for you to work near the flower shop, meet Ken, move on to work for Spirit World, learn from Genkai and date Yusuke, have a chance run in with Ken after four years. Slowly it all came together. And you chuckled.

"You had this all planned from the start. From the moment you sought me out in America till now. You knew that all of this would occur," You said with a grin.

Koenma's brown eyes glittered in their old familiar way. "Of course I knew. I am the Mighty Koenma after all," he preened.

You laughed. "Yeah you are. So what happens now?"

"Yusuke is making preparations to leave in the morning. His future is a mystery, and I have business on my end to take care of to make sure that once this tiff has been resolved, Spirit World can negotiate."

You nodded and went to go back inside before Koenma stopped you. In a quiet, sincere voice, he said, "In London—your life will be beautiful."

As dawn approached, you watched Yusuke ready himself. His eyes held a flare for life that you had never seen. He knew that this mission might not ensure his life, and so had asked if you might stay with him. Putting what Keiko did and his childishness behind you, as this was not the time to cling to the past, you agreed. You had slept on his couch, the one where just last year Yusuke teased you and made you squeal in laughter. Around four in the morning, you rose to be with him. You talked a little, about him kicking ass and to not be hotheaded. But as the sun's light crested the horizon, like an approaching villain, you took Yusuke into your arms. Your embrace was tight, desperate, and bittersweet. When you felt the old warmth of Yusuke's arms come around your waist, you let the tears that had welled in your eyes fall. Suddenly the possibility that you might never see him again frightened you and you wanted to hold onto the detective for as long as you could.

Yusuke smelled of musk and pomade; a scent that you inhaled deeply. Yusuke held tight to you as well. The same fear running through his mind. He might never see you, he might die on this mission. Neither of you spoke, rather you simply stood in his apartment and thought of all you wished to say.

Don't go! Stay here! Leave with me! I don't want you to die! I'm sorry for what I did, the pain I caused you to suffer! I still love you!

Yusuke's arms trembled as the sky lightened. His embrace was like a vice around you, not wanting to let go. When his time had come to depart, Yusuke reluctantly pulled away. Before you could stop it, an anguished gasp came from you.

"No! You have to come back! You must come back Yusuke!" You whispered feverishly, gripping his arm.

Yusuke's chocolate eyes met yours and upon seeing the worry in your face, he brought both of his hands on either side, holding your cheeks. With a determination and an indisputable voice, Yusuke promised you.

"I will come back. But if I don't, I want you to know that I will be there with you if you are called in to finish what I started. I'm sorry for what I did and have done to you in the past. I never wanted to hurt you. I cannot imagine any other taking over being Spirit Detective than you. I love you (y/n), never forget that."

All too soon, Yusuke released your face and darted out his door. He did not wait for you to reply. He wanted to leave you with his lasting feelings, irrefutable. You stayed in his apartment a bit longer, taking in the memories of this place. Then, knowing that doing nothing was the worst thing to do, you went for your phone and called Ken. Fifteen minutes later, the sound of a motorcycle rumbled up to the apartment complex. You left, giving Yusuke's home one last look and shut the door.

Ken awaited you, an extra helmet in hand. The Weiss member saw through his visor your reddened face and swollen eyes and got off his bike. How Ken wanted to rush to you and sooth you tore at his heart. Once you were close enough, Ken took you into a comforting embrace. Remembering Koenma's words, you did not hesitate to reach up and hug him in return. His clothes fresh from the wash enlightened your spirits. The clean scent of his soap welcomed you. His dark hair fanned out beneath his helmet and you watched as the sun's light played off of the strands, turning them varying shades of brownish-red.

"You alright?" Ken asked gently, not wanting to upset you further.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." You faltered, thinking. Then, coming to the decision, you asked, "Ken? Do you still want me to go to London?"

The Weiss member held you closer to him, "Yes."

Closing your eyes, you listened to the sounds of Tokyo. You heard the foreign language you had learned during your stay and imagined being surrounded by Londoners. A strange pleasantness blanketed you and, in English, you answered, "Let's go to England, Ken. Let's find Aya."


	16. Chapter 16:Der Gefahr und Offenbarungen

Yusuke Reader chapter 16:

The flight to London went without a hitch. Little turbulence disrupted your sleep as your plane soared above Asia towards Europe; to that island of kings and queens. Ken was seated next to you in the bulkheads, a spot you insisted due to the leg room. You were not going to spend over eighteen hours on a flight with no leg room. During the course of the night, you felt Ken's left arm come about your shoulders in an effort to keep you warm while you slept. You leaned against him like a pillow, a gesture that Ken beamed at and let yourself succumb to the darkness of slumber.

You arrived at midday in London. Big Ben, London Bridge and the Thames greeted you as you began your descent. You were very excited to be in England and tugged Ken's arm to show him the famous landmarks. Ken brought his face next to yours to peer out the small window playfully pushing you out of the way. The cheerful giggles that came from your throat eased the pain in your heart over Yusuke. Ken had a way of making you erupt into laughter and jubilation; a self-imbued skill that you were grateful for.

The rumbling of the wheels turning down had you practically jumping in your seat. Your stomach lurched when contact with the ground was achieved, you had made it! You were in England.

Standing to collect your carry-on bags you stretched upwards, your back giving satisfying cracks. The muscles in your legs tensed wonderfully, releasing their cramped kinks. You couldn't wait to get off of the plane. By the sixteenth hour, you were ready to crawl out of your skin.

Ken helped get down your bag and got in line to exit the cabin. English surrounded you and you loved it. To be able to converse freely without remembering the difficult conjugations and suffixes made you giddy. Ken seemed a bit nervous as his English was on the poor side, but with your translations he relaxed quickly.

Several times, Ken had to stand back and watch you; He saw you interact with customs, the people in the food court and couldn't help but smile at the growing adoration he felt for you. Here you were able to truly be yourself. Your facial expressions and wide grin as you talked to strangers increased the affection he held for you. You were so different than back in Japan. Is this how she really is? He thought to himself. You were just so free in London. And Ken was thrilled to have given you this opportunity. Retrieving your bags from Baggage Claim was hectic, trying to find your things mingled with hundreds of others left you both frazzled. Yet once everything had been collected, you all but pulled Ken out of the airport doors into the bustling city that was London.

Hailing a cab, the two of you whizzed by Buckingham Palace, Kensington Gardens, and London's large shopping districts. Ken, who had never been to England, was transfixed by the imposing historical buildings and monuments that dotted the city. On the plane you had given him a quick history lesson, informing him on English history. You even taught him a few handy English phrases. His pronunciation needed work albeit, but he was getting it. The cab stopped outside your apartment complex; a nice, newly built structure with lots of space and windows in an upbeat district. This had all been carefully planed of course. Before you had left Tokyo, you searched for a place to call home, at least temporarily. Using your own money, after a lengthy conversation with Omi who insisted he purchase the flat for you (it was his job as Persia to maintain Weiss's stability), you bought a swanky flat in London with high ceilings. Ken found out about the arrangement and blasted Omi for burdening you with such a hefty expense. Only when you told him that it was your idea did he calm down.

"But how can you afford it?" he asked, his Sharpie marker posed in midair ready to scribble KITCHEN on the side of his box.

You winked at him and taped up the items designated for BEDROOM. "I have my ways."

"I bet you do. You're just full of surprises aren't you?" Ken slid the box aside and grabbed another.

"Yes I am."

Ken then reached for a long, slim parcel and regarded it with a reverence you had to question. "What's that?"

"Aya's sword." Came Ken's lowered voice. His teal eyes followed his hand as Aya's name was written.

"Where did you find that?" You asked going for another box to seal.

"I got it from Yoji a few days ago. I figured that if Aya was out there, he'd need it."

You bit your lip. You knew how much Ken looked up to Aya and that his leaving Weiss hurt Ken very much. So you stopped your taping and sat next to your brooding friend.

"We'll take this one with us. We can check it in when we get to the airport instead of having it shipped later with the other stuff…ok?" you kindly suggested, resting your chin on his hunched shoulder.

Ken, feeling your slight weight, broke his stare on the weapon and glanced at you. Your upturned mouth gave him a smiling pout and Ken fought back the rising urge to press his mouth to yours. Being this close to you his heart quickened and he was transported to his first flower delivery. Those happy, cherish days warmed him and he playfully brought his forehead to yours, "Ok."

Shortly after you settled into your new home in London, the search began for Aya. Using your Spirit Energy, and a few tricks learned from Genkai, you projected yourself around the city. With his spirit trace residue in mind, you easily discovered his whereabouts. Aya was currently residing under the support of a one Lord Richard Krypton. Lord Richard had scouted out the Weiss leader to join in his own assassination team, Kryptonbrand: Side B. You reported your findings to Ken who immediately asked for directions to Lord Richard's residence. The next night, you and Ken ventured out in pursuit of Aya. Coming to a large, rolling estate in London's countryside, you and Ken split up. Ken was to find Aya while you disabled any hindering security measures. You didn't get very far; security cameras and guards surrounded the manor, all of which were dealt with by using the Shockwave. Not able to see your attack, the guards screamed in terror as they were thrown hundreds of yards away. The security cameras wilted and combusted from the force of your energy, eliminating any chance of detection.

Sending out a projection, you alerted Ken of your success and inquired on his progress. He told you that he had come to an underground bunker of sorts and was barred by a heavy metal door. Quickly you came to his aid, landing beside him. Ken cracked a joke of him never getting used to the fact that you could fly, before resuming his serious, deathly posture. Sensing others beyond the door, you ordered Ken to stand back. Forcing your energy into your arms, you gave a strong push, sending out a barrage of Spirit Arrows to assault the door. The metal caved and bent, twisting on its massive hinges. With screeches and groans, the large metal barricade collapsed with a ground-shaking thud, revealing a training arena complete with a mezzanine.

Ken ran ahead, his claws elongated.

"Come out Krypton! I know you're here! Where is Aya!"

Slowly, leery, you entered behind Ken. Your training with Genkai made you scout out every nook around you. Releasing wispy tendrils of Energy, you detected several energy patterns; you were being watched.

"Ken, we're surrounded." Your tone went low as your energy rose.

"How? Where?" Quickly, Ken darted his eyes to the second floor.

Deftly, you stepped forward. Sternly looking upwards to your center, you proclaimed your terms to the hidden figure observing you.

"I know you are there Lord Krypton. I can sense it. If you come down now, I will not raze this structure to the ground. However, if you choose to attack me or my companion, I will show no mercy towards you and your associates."

The floor under your feet rumbled as you released your power in threatening waves. Next to you, Ken chimed in. Thoroughly enjoying the turn of events. "Man—I'd do as she says. She means it."

When no one answered or came forth, you took that as initiative and extended your arms. Suddenly the entire arena shook. The rafters swung and the walls groaned as your Spirit Energy filled the bunker's insides.

"I see you've made your decision! Siberian and I will be safe, but you will not!" You exclaimed safeguarding Ken by using his Weiss codename.

Then a voice sounded from the second floor; An older voice, one with reserve and authority with a hint of genuine fascination. "There is no need, my dear. Although I do wish to see more of your extraordinary gifts."

Instantly, the rumbling stopped and you lowered your arms. "Show yourself, Lord Krypton."

Out of the dark came a tall, regal man in his late fifties. His face bore the weight of time already, but that did not lessen his impressive appearance. Broad shoulders and a regal bearing outfitted this man who stealthy descended the staircase to the first floor. Dressed in a smart tweed suite, Lord Krypton was every bit an English Lord. With an almost insulting propriety, Lord Krypton spoke:

"I know that you destroyed my security system and soundly throttled my men. Your skills are note worth, my dear. Pray tell what is your name?"

You said nothing.

"Judging by your accent, you're American correct? What brings you to my manor this night?"

"I'll tell you nothing until we know that Aya is safe." You said.

"Well, I am. What are you two doing here? How did you find me?"

You and Ken turned to the right to see a tall, lithe red-headed man. With a relieved gasp, you dropped your reserve and went over to Aya and hugged him.

"Aya! I'm so happy you're ok." His hands took your shoulders, holding you back to see your face.

"(y/n)? Of all people what are you doing here? And with Ken?"

"It's a long story Aya. But Ken came to me and wanted help finding you."

Lord Krypton stood by, watching the interactions between you, Ken and Aya. The brunette with the tiger claws was a practiced assassin, of the same ilk as the red-headed swordsman. But you…what exactly were you?

You were able to make the very earth shake, his training arena was nearly turned to ruins. Including that both you and Ken slipped by the security greatly amused Lord Krypton, and he instantly wanted you on his Side B team.

"I have a proposition for all three of you. Join my team, and I will compensate all of you. Food, clothing, lodging whatever you need. I've been trying to recruit your friend here for months. I finally got him to agree to come here tonight. Then you two arrive with most impressive talents...not to mention impeccable timing. It would be my honor if all of you joined Side B."

Lord Krypton snapped his fingers signaling for others to jump from the second floor and stand before you. There were three of them; one was a tall blond haired blue-eyed man of about 25, and the other a beautiful Japanese woman about thirty, and the last was a youthful boy of anywhere from 13 to 15.

"Chloe." Stated the blond in a rather deep voice. He bore an accent of some Eastern European country, either Ukrainian or Romanian, you guessed.

"Nana Mihirogi," the woman said in turn. "I believe you find an ally in me. I used to be Persia's secretary, but after moving to England, I now serve as Lord Richard's."

"And I'm Michael. It's brilliant meeting you!," piped the boy with a decidedly heavy Irish accent.

"These three are members of my Side B team. They found Aya near death in New York—stabbed by an adversary of mine. They brought him to me once they learned he was a former Weiss. Your reputation precedes you my friends."

"I'm not Weiss," You said coldly. "I'm here to locate a friend, nothing more. And I have no intention of joining your team. And what exactly is Side B? You failed to expand on that."

Lord Krypton smirked at you. He liked your indignation. "Side B is just a dirivitive of my assassination team, Kryptonbrand. I assembled this group in order to bring justice to the weak. Just as Weiss did in Japan. I'm in need of stronger members and your two friends fit the mold perfectly…not to mention that there might be a spot available for you as well."

"I already said that I was not Weiss," you repeated with ice.

"Then what are you?" Lord Krypton inquired with a desiring, predatory gaze.

"That is a secret." You said staring right into his spectacled eyes.

"But you must tell me what it was you did back there. I've never beheld such power," Lord Krypton was chomping at the bit.

"That is also a secret."

Sensing the growing tension, the one called Chloe stepped forward and held out his hand to you. His accent was husky and thick and definitely Romanian. "A pleasure. I don't care if you join or not. But I was entertained by your display."

With a firm grip, you shook the assassin's hand. "Thank you."

Through his touch, you sensed that he was a troubled youth with a dark past. Yet he had a kind heart deep down, one that he did not show so easily to others.

Lord Krypton changed his course with you and asked if he might speak to Aya and Ken alone. You told the lord that it was their option, not yours if they wanted an audience. Much to your disdain, Ken and Aya ventured out of earshot with the shifty gentleman. As Ken, Aya and Lord Krypton moved to the side to discuss Side B, you stayed with Chloe and Michael. Mihirogi was acting as the translator for Ken, whereas Aya had learned more English and was able to convers more easily. You remained quiet. Observing all of them, watching them. Somewhere you thought of Yusuke and you prayed he was safe. His trials were no doubt more intense then what you were facing now.

Some minutes passed before the footsteps of Lord Krypton strode towards you; A satisfied smile on his lips. "A triumph! I am pleased to announce the newest candidates of Side B: Aya Fujimiya and Ken Hidaka."

Your eyes widened at the declaration. "What? You're going with them Ken?"

He nodded. "Yeah. If I can fight with Aya again, taking down those assholes who tread on the weak, I would join any group."

"How stupid," you muttered. "I thought you wanted to get away from this life Ken. You told me all you wanted to do was find Aya, not continue that life."

Ken noticed the disappointment in your eyes. He had basically told you he wanted out that night at the bar. It bothered him that you knew the troubles Weiss had put him through, the loss of friends, loved ones, prison. Ken lowered his gaze, feeling that he may have jumped headlong into this before thinking it through. He was always stubborn and incorrigible. Many had told him so and Ken hated the fact that right now, you were glaring at him with a distant regard. He did not want to push you away with his usual rash actions. So, coming to you, Ken wrapped an arm around your shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze.

Ken acknowledged Lord Krypton, "I wish to change my arraignments. I'll join. But only if she permits me."

As Mihirogi translated, those teal pools turned down to you, kind and asking for forgiveness.

You felt yourself stare into them like the depths of the ocean. Ken had located Aya and now wanted to join Side B, but he placed that decision on you. Ultimately you did not want to disappoint him…you wanted Ken in your life, but was allowing him to be a part of another assassination group the way? Closing your eyes to think, you heard Koenma's prediction in your ears, "Your life will be beautiful."

Lord Krypton studied you, feeling deep in his bones that you were drawing on some unseen force for strength in this. How he wanted to know!

"What say you my dear? Is Mr. Hidaka to join us?"

Parting your eyelids, still glancing downwards, you brought a hand to grasp the strong one holding your shoulders. You did not look at Ken, but at Lord Krypton.

"Ken can join. But I will safeguard him and Aya myself. No help from you. Your missions will be made privy to me in addition to the rest of Side B. I will not be kept in the dark. Also, I will oversee their weapons. And should anything happen to either Aya or Ken, I will demand half of your estate as compensation. And believe me, I am capable of taking it with or without your permission, Lord Krypton. Furthermore, you will provide Ken and Aya with a monthly allowance of $100,000 or 61180 British pounds."

Lord Krypton was astounded by your brazen stipulations. But nonetheless was elated and gladly accepted your terms. "Hahaha! It is true what they say! Hell hath no fury! You drive a hard bargain, my dear. Where did you learn to make such demands?"

"I have a very no nonsense teacher." You replied thinking Genkai would be grinning if she saw you now.

"It does not matter, I will see to it that your requests are met."

Beside you Ken was amazed. You spoke with the fortitude of a politician. Even stoic Aya raised his brows at your demands. Yet they both smiled widely as they, when you translated it to Ken, realized that you had ordered for them to receive a yearly income of $500,000. Ken's grip on you tightened.

"Hey hold on! What the hell is this Krypton? Why give them so much? Why not give that to the rest of us too?" Chloe barked hitting his chest with his hand.

With a casual shrug, Lord Krypton replied, "Simple. Because you didn't ask for it when you joined."

Holding out his hand, Lord Krypton wanted to seal the deal. "Do we have an accord then, my dear?"

Taking his hand in yours, you gave a firm shake. And when he covered your hand with his other, you did the same. This tiny act of dominance thrilled Lord Krypton. Having you nearby was going to be brilliant. Side B would rise through the ranks and become the most powerful assassination group in Europe.

"Right now we have an accord." You grinned at the older man.

"I will send out the first installment in the morning. I have to run the proper paper work with the government. Three strangers coming to England and suddenly acquiring 61180 pounds each will garner attention."

"Wait. Three? I'm not a part of your group. Nor do I want to be." You said growing irritated that Lord Krypton had included you when you clearly stated that you did not wish to.

"I know. I can tell you are an independent woman. And independent women need their own money no?"

Pursing your lips, you narrowed your eyes. "I don't like you, Lord Krypton. Yet, somehow I feel as though you and I will have personal dealings about Side B."

"Oh I do hope so my dear."

The initiatory fight between Aya and Ken against Mihirogi, Chloe, and Michael was a success. Their one-sided victory brought Ken and Aya into the fold of Kryptonbrand. Side B soon after recruited two new members, Yuki from New York, and a man called Free from Lichtenstein. In an effort to bury the hatchet, Side B was reamed Weiss Side B by Lord Krypton, as an act of good will towards you. You appreciated his gesture though you still remained cautious of him. Over the following two years, you contended with Weiss Side B from the sidelines. You readied Aya and Ken's weapons, infusing them with your Spirit Energy. You were kept abreast on all missions through Lord Krypton, even being invited to his surveillance room to watch Side B in action.

Whenever the occasion called for it, you were called to Lord Krypton's estate to lend your powers. Usually that took the form of projections into the enemy stronghold, detailing the layouts and rooms to the members. You rarely had direct contact with the actual mission. There were a few pointed times when you provided Spirit Shields to protect Ken and Aya…occasionally offering the same to the other four members. Once the mission ended and Weiss Side B returned unharmed, save for the customary bruises and scratches, you took Ken and left the enormity of Lord Krypton's manor.

You lived with Ken in your flat, an arrangement that required some getting used to. Ken often left his dirty socks and dishes on the floor and in the sink, habits that you bit your lips at. Ken was also a fan of loud music and frequently played his iPod at blaring volumes. In retaliation, you dumped the laundry in a heap on your bed, not bothering with folding. Ken hated that and, frustrated, sifted through the imposing pile for his clothes. However, it was due to these domestic spites that you two grew closer. You went from acting like friends, to more like siblings. Ken would flush the toilet while you enjoyed a nice, searing shower turning the waters freezing cold.

"That's for the laundry," He would say.

You once replaced his shaving cream with whipped cream, resulting in Ken having a very nicked up but sweet face. He chased you around the flat with a wet towel for that. You laughed hysterically when he tripped over one of his discarded socks and face planted onto the rug.

"I told you to pick up your stuff!"

Then there were the times when Ken was kind and endearing towards you. There were times when he left you fresh flowers in the kitchen, usually as an apology for his childishness. As forgiveness, you prepared his favorite Japanese dishes. Life was happy then and you grew to miss Ken more and more when he went out on missions, or even to walk around the city.

The day came in May when Ken brought you to see an old flower shop. After questioning him, Ken revealed to you that he needed to do something to earn a living, rather than be dependent on Lord Krypton's donations. You were pleased to see Aya there, preparing the shop for opening and decided that Ken was right. So, taking his lead, you too went to work. Taking Genkai's martial arts training and meditation, you opened your own studio. Offering skillsets from Karate to Yoga, you soon found that you needed a bookkeeper. Your studio became all the rage in London. The American trainer with impressive, unseen skill in bodily fitness quickly gained attention from even the wealthy.

Ken's shop thrived as well, signing contracts with large companies for floral services. Ken, much to your enthusiasm, entered and won many competitions furthering his reputation. When the prestigious call came from the Queen's own secretary with orders for hall roses, Ken was beside himself. Quickly his flower shop doubled in size and was on the front page headlines. Choosing to donate the proceeds from the Queen's commission, Ken distributed the money amongst several charities and even gave some to the soccer leagues. Out of good will, Ken left the shop in Aya's capable hands and graduated to teaching his proficiency in the game to young children. He taught soccer four days out of the week and oversaw the flower shop.

Ken spoke highly of his kids and of their progress. Over breakfast he prattled on about Ben's speed, or Johnathan's strong kicks. You listened with a gentile smile. Ken loved kids. Plain and simple. And they loved him. Always they laughed and flittered around him, like he was their worshipped big brother. Ken was so good with them, never being too harsh but not soft either. He displayed the right amount of discipline on the field that both kids and parents appreciated. One morning before practice, Ken described the solid catch of his little star goalie Thomas.

"I'm telling you, with the right guidance this kid could play the championship one day," Ken praised over his bowl of rice and fish.

"That's awesome Ken! I'm glad you're having such a fantastic time with them. You're really good with them," You said bringing a forkful of eggs to your mouth.

"Well, I've always wanted kids. I guess that's why I like them so much. They're not like adults. They're still innocent with futures ahead of them."

"Really? You want kids?" You asked amused.

You tried to picture Ken as a father and the image came rather willingly. All Ken had to do was flash that killer smile and everyone felt lighter. You did not deny that he was gentle and careing with them, two essential traits of a loving parent. The thought of Ken surrounded by little ones brought a thoughtful smile to your face. You had never considered having kids yourself, not even with Yusuke. Unfortunately the image of you with children had more trouble coming forward.

"I do. I want two, a boy and a girl." Ken nodded and ate a slice of fish.

You watched the battle hardened Weiss member and gave a giggle. "You really put thought into this haven't you?"

"Well, prison tends to make you think of your life you know? I passed a lot of time thinking what it would be like having a family one day. I came to the conclusion that I want a boy because…doesn't every guy? You know the macho thing. And I want a girl so I can be the protective dad that freaks out her boyfriends."

Your laughter rang in the flat. "That is too cute! Not the prison part of course but, aw Ken! Hahaha!"

Ken grinned and chuckled, his mouth closed so as to not spit out his food.

"Well, for what it's worth Ken, I think you'll be a great father. An untidy husband, but a good dad." You quipped taking your plate to the dishwasher.

Shaking his head, his grin intact, Ken rose too with his bowl. "What about you? You want kids?"

"I never really pictured my life with kids. To be honest I'm not sure I'd be a good mother."

Ken nudged you and winked. "Well for what it's worth, I believe you'll be a fantastic mom. And I know your life will be a beautiful one."

Those words made you freeze. "What did you say Ken?"

"What?"

"Just now? About my life. Where did you hear that?"

Ken shrugged. "What do you mean? Nowhere. Is something the matter?"

"N..no. It's just…I've heard that said to me before. A long time ago. That's all, it's not important."

You waved it off, fighting the ringing in your ears. Koenma said the same thing. What were the odds? Ken set his bowl in the top rack and lifted your chin. Meeting his teal eyes you felt heat rise in your cheeks. The talk about him being a father flooded into your mind and you tried to calm the thudding of your heart. For some reason, his wanting of children instinctively heightened your senses, as any handsome man seeking to spread his bloodline would. You found yourself running your gaze over his strong jaw, the tanned skin, the shoulder length chocolate hair. The roughness of the skin of his fingers on your chin tingled—the arm with which he used to bring your head up, you could see the muscle wrapped beneath smooth caramel flesh.

And those eyes, blue, green, and cobalt swirling within their depths focused on you as if they saw right through you with a spine tingling accuracy. "Your life will be beautiful. I promise it will."

After that, you began to see Ken in a different light. You noticed the telltale signs happening within; how your chest tightened when he left on missions, and when your heart swelled upon his return. More and more you found yourself nearer to him. And he with you. You caught each other's gaze with a lingered stare. His smiles brought the blood to your cheeks which you quickly hid by therapeutic chores; anything so that Ken wouldn't see. When doing the dishes, Ken's hand danced over to yours, the soapy bubbles concealing his nimble fingers. This made you snicker and playfully splash him, which he in turn dodged.

"You and your goalie skills! I can never hit you!" You laughed, damp and sudsy.

Ken grinned, his teal eyes alight. "One of these days you will." Then taking a fingertip of white foam, Ken tapped the soft feather light bubbles onto your nose.

"Aw! Why'd you do that!" You giggled trying to rub the deflating liquid on your shoulder.

"Haha! Wait, here. Use mine." Ken leaned down for you to wipe off the wet soap. Doing so treated you to the delightful fresh smell of his shirt mingled with his skin. It was the little, everyday signs such as this that brought you closer to each other. You began to take greater care in his wellbeing, particularly before assignments. Each mission you urged him to be careful and every time he would reply that arresting upturn of his lips.

"Aren't I always?" He would say.

Gradually, Ken took it upon himself to reassure your feelings of unease with Weiss Side B. As a sort of personal tradition, he started kissing you on the cheek before every mission. For luck or guarantee, you did not know why but it soon stood as your tie to each other. The press of his mouth comforted you as well, and you equated it to mean he was leaving a piece of himself behind. He did this little act of affection in private lest the other members see. Free and Chloe sensed there was something between you two and were ever vigilant in seeking out the tiniest hint. However, just as he was in soccer, Ken was stealthy enough to thwart their search.

Once he, Aya, and the rest of Weiss Side B were out the door donned in their new fittings (despite the fact that you really hated the protective face mask Ken wore), you went right to work. Lord Krypton's surveillance room permitted you to assist his team using his impressive resources with little chance of detection. You kept close tabs on the two former Weiss; projecting yourself to shadow them. Ken always knew you were there with them, though Aya and the others were unaware. However, Aya was beginning to have his theories; the fact that Ken seemed to know exactly where to go, when to duck, and how to launch the offense made the red-head suspicious. When Ken came back to Lord Krypton's estate unscathed, grinning broadly, your heart leapt.

You greeted him with a friendly kiss on the cheek, reciprocating his own tradition (in private of course). This, as with many relationships, inevitably evolved. One night after a rather gritty mission, one in which Ken and the others faced a most terrifying target, the relationship shared between you shifted.

They had been sent to London's old East End Whitechapel district, to the sight of the infamous Jack the Ripper murders over one hundred years prior. According to Lord Krypton, a copycat murder was running rampant, killing women just as the Ripper had in 1888. After his third victim, Lord Krypton called in Weiss Side B. Gathering the six members together, you and Lord Krypton told the story of Jack the Ripper and of his slaughters. Aya and Ken darkened their faces—what monster did that to women? The team was dispatched in the early morning around one. You, through projection, instructed Ken where to go, where to look.

All too quickly, their mission turned dire. They discovered the murder preying on his fourth victim, her throat slit and her uterus, kidneys and intestine removed. Ken had never whiteness such brutality, not even in Weiss. This was no organization, nor another assassin group; this was just one crazed man. That sole human factor chilled him.

"Ken, be careful!" You told him using your microphone.

Ken dodged the murderer's attacks. They were frantic, deranged, and wild. Aya, Michael, Chloe and Free went at once but were suddenly overcome by a strong force. Throwing them aside like ragdolls, Ken stood alone in that darkened alleyway.

"W…What the hell?"

You heard through the headpiece a deep rumbling growl and knew at once.

"Ken! Get out of there! You can't fight him alone! It's a demon! I'm on my way!" You screamed, your self-projection disappearing as you lost focus.

That energy was not human. No, it was pure demon energy. What was a demon doing in London? Was Yusuke no longer Spirit Detective and that's why a rogue demon was free to murder? You knew you had to get to the mission spot. You were the only one outside Japan trained to handle a foe like this. Telling Ken to hide, you immediately took off. Rising above London, you flew towards the East End. Your heart raced in your ears, hoping that Ken did as you said. Lord Krypton insisted on following you and, speeding below in his Bentley, he trailed you to his fallen team.

You came to the mission location and touched down, your Spirit Energy flaring. Looming with yellowing eyes and a mouth of shark-like teeth, the demon flicked a long serpentine tongue.

"Ahhh~ I was wondering when you'd show," said the demonic murderer with a guttural rasp.

"You were expecting me?"

"Of course. As the White Flame Serpent, the Seiryu of Spirit Detectives, you deserve to be brought down by one powerful such as myself."

So he had heard of you. You grinned for you still enjoyed the sound of White Flame Serpent.

"What are you doing in London? A bit far from home aren't you?" You stood straight with feet firmly planted.

"Haven't you heard? No apparition has seen Urameshi for two years. Many assume him to be dead. Looks like your Suzaku is no more. Pity really—I wanted to crush him myself. But all is not lost for if the great Yusuke Urameshi fell, then you will be no effort."

The demon creature turned from you and extended his grizzly arm towards Aya. " These men are obviously your allies correct? I'll start with this one first."

Automatically, your power rose, lifting you from the ground. Your hair whipped around furiously, your eyes glowed white and threatening. Veins of power lined your face and neck, reminiscent of the last time you used this much energy.

"You think you can touch me by hurting them? I will not stand for those who aim to murder the ones important to me." You said, your voice echoing.

Ken, seeing you so altered, retracted his claws and watched from a safe distance in awe. He had never seen you like this; powerful and threatening. He marveled at the way you asserted your confidence before this monster. So, this is what you really are, Ken thought coated in respect. You were a protector of the weak, just as he was. This demon threatened innocent life, no matter what sullied deeds filled their pasts, and you had to stop him. Ken stared transfixed, not bothering to hold back the emotion flaming within him. Your bravery seduced him and Ken leapt forward. Charging the demon with murderous lust Ken clenched his fist, releasing his long claws, and thrust his arm into the back of the unsuspecting beast.

"This is for my friends you disgusting piece of trash!" Ken growled in pleasure as his arm slid past hot gore and out the demon's chest.

Swiftly he pulled away and jumped back, yelling to you, "Do it! Do it now! Kill it!"

Taking Ken's lead you unleashed surges of white, flame like energy to engulf the murderous demon. Screaming with inhuman ferocity, the creature ripped at its face as your powers singed flesh from bone. Ken, much to his dismay, was unable to see it but he could feel the pressure change around him. He felt the heat from your energy, the protective emotion pent up inside. The demon disintegrated into ash to be blown away by the nightly breeze. Lord Krypton, who had arrived on the scene a few moments earlier, ordered for you to be filmed. He was possessed to have you documented. But that did not go unnoticed by you. In this state, you were in tune with everything, and raising your left arm, you swiped downwards, causing the camera held by Lord Krypton's driver to explode.

Within seconds, you returned to normal slowly descending to the ground. Shouting back to Lord Krypton, you ordered for the rest of Weiss Side B to be tended to. As Lord Krypton made the call for backup, you felt angry with yourself. You swore never to involve yourself directly in missions. But this one dealt with a demon…did that still count? You half dared to presume Lord Krypton was behind this—scheming to trick you into helping Weiss Side B. Blinking away those assumptions, you searched near for Ken. The Weiss member was unharmed, save for one of his arms coated in dark blood, but that did not stop you from rushing over and grabbing him tightly.

"Ken! I'm so sorry! When Lord Krypton sent you out I didn't know he was a demon! I would have never let you risk your life…"

"Shhhh. It's ok. I'm alive thanks to you. We all are." Ken soothed, a sturdy unsullied hand rubbing your back.

You held onto him like a lifeline. The fear of losing him strangled you. Ken was your dear friend—the person whom you shared a home with. Ken, who made you laugh and lifted your spirits with his sweet, sweet smile. Ken, whose tender mouth when pressed upon your cheek made your heart flutter and your face redden. If he were to die…

"Come on. Let's get out of here. I'm tired," Ken gently ushered you along to Lord Krypton's car.

"You go with Krypton. I want to make sure the others are ok. I'll be home soon," Ken reassured you as you sat in the soft leather seat.

"Alright."

Ken faded into the night as the Bentley speeded back to London's crowded streets.

The clock in your kitchen struck five a.m. before Ken trudged through the door. You chose to wait up, fueling yourself on cups of strong coffee. Ken locked the dead bolt to the flat and threw down his bagh nakh gloves onto the hardwood floor. Their metal blades clattered sharply in the otherwise quiet rooms. He bore an air of exhaustion. The manner in which his eyes with their heavy lids scanned the flat with sluggish speed was indicative of the events after you left. Aya and the other members had suffered minor injuries, Michael enduring the worst with a concussion. The doctors checked his arm believing the dried blood to be his. The diagnosis returning with nothing amiss, Ken was given a clean shirt and pants to wear. Ken had gone with them back to Lord Krypton's estate, being forced by his teammates to explain how you defeated the creature so easily. Reluctantly, Ken had told them you possessed special gifts, keeping the Spirit Detective aspect quiet. All morning he was pushed into recalled the near-death experience thanks to his wounded friends and Lord Krypton. The older man's diatribes of you joining Weiss Side B sank Ken's already fatigued shoulders and the Weiss member refused to listen. He left the estate thirty minutes ago, flying back home on his motorcycle.

Ken's weary gaze settled on you, only to see worry in your eyes.

"How are they? Aya and the others?"

Ken rushed over to you. You barely had time to react when he pulled you into a kiss. You knew why, facing death by something greater than any human vice in conjunction with being saved by you, in knowing that he could have never seen you again, had spurred Ken's desire for you. The early morning's trials qualified the need for human contact and this time you did not hesitate. You felt the same in fact; you wanted to be close to him. You welcomed him, clinging to him as he picked you up.

Ken pinned you to your bed, his mouth still on yours. His scent of sweat and fresh soap urged impassioned you along to remove his clothes. The taught muscles of his back and arms were like rocks under your fingers. Swiftly you removed his jeans, desperate to feel him against you. It did not matter that this would be the first time you were intimate with Ken, you merely wanted to have him close. The thought of losing him tonight was terrifying, and now you wished to be surrounded by him.

Ken fondled you through your shirt, running his hands down your sides. Removing your pants, Ken felt himself harden. Taking the initiative you wrapped your legs around his waist, pressing him to you. Ken angled his hips and thrust forward, sliding into you. You moaned and arched into his chest, gripping his hair.

Ken tangled himself in your limbs, exultant to finally able to be with you in this manner. Ken had lost count of how long he desired to be with you; the number of years, months, days.

The room filled with your groans of pleasure. The tantalizing weight of Ken's lithe body lying over you as his hips moved in synch with yours drove you near to madness. How long had it been since you knew the lustful touch of another man? Two long years. As Ken moved to kiss your neck, you smiled—you missed feeling this way. The heat Ken ignited within you acted like the return of a cherished friend; long awaited and much obliged.

Ken covered your body in sweet kisses, to which you gleefully giggled. Ken breathed heavily against your jaw, his body trembling as he reached his climax. His timing was perfect for as he felt the unmistakable euphoria, you too joined him in the white, encompassing fold of release.

Collapsing beside you, Ken calmed his pounding heart. As his mind processed the events of intimacy, he weakly stared at the ceiling. Tonight was too close for comfort in his opinion. The prospect of death caused him to scrutinize his life and he was certain that you were meant to be a part of it. Fear of being taken from you froze his lungs and iced his blood. Your time in London had only increased his feelings for you and Ken viewed you with nothing but a pure love. Every time he went on a mission, he did it to protect you. To keep London safe for you was his motivation, just as you had worked to keep him safe. After six years of waiting, he had to tell you how he felt, he had to confess. Ken needed to say the words he had been practicing over and over in his mind, the words he had pored over. Those choice words he cultivated and nurtured until the time came to present itself.

And so Ken turned to you. "Marry me."


	17. Chapter 17:Schluss Geständnis des Mondes

Yusuke reader chapter 17: Schluss Geständnis des Mondes

Spring had come and with it came your wedding. The ceremony was small, as per your request, and held on Lord Krypton's estate overlooking a private sparkling lake. The guests included Aya, Chloe, Michael, Free, and a new member from New York named Yuki. Mihirogi and Lord Krypton also attended, with the older Englishman pleased to have been able to host the occasion and even more pleased that you did not bulk his suggestion to do so. As a special surprise, Omi had even arranged to be there as you and his former Weiss colleague exchanged vows.

Ken slipped the slender ring of white gold onto your finger, his mouth forged into a constant smile. You leaned up to kiss him, the eyes and applause around you fading into the distance.

Three years later you received a most unexpected visit. It came early in the morning, around ten; four light raps heralded the visitors coming. You were busy with your meditation practices, hovering several feet above the floor, eyes closed and legs crossed. Ken sat nearby the kitchen window polishing his claws, his wedding band glinting in the sun light. Hearing the subtle knocks, Ken stopped his meticulous rubbing and set the clawed gloves down on the table top. Rising from his seat, Ken checked to see if you had heard the knocking before he answered the door. With you still deep in thought, Ken went to the door and turned the knob.

"Who's there?" Ken called out.

"Did I come to the right place?" replied a softer, yet entitled voice.

"What?" Ken opened the door a crack, but quickly thrust it completely open. The voice had come, but there was no one in sight. He was unable to see Koenma standing on the threshold. Ken remained calm despite the voice sounding as close to him as if there was a person inches from his face.

"Who's out there Ken?" You asked from the living room, practicing your meditation (Shortly after your marriage you received a letter from Genkai in the mail, most old fashioned, instructing you to not get carried away by "all of marriages' benefits" and keep up with your training. How she got your address, you had your theories. The old woman had signed the missive "you know who this is. Write back if you want." That was your favorite part.)

Your awareness quickened; there was something out there with Ken and you opened your eyes. It did not feel threatening, it felt familiar.

"No one. Maybe just a prank…" Ken turned his head to answer you.

"Well, actually, I'm here to see (y/n). You must be Ken. It's nice to finally put a face to the name. " Came Koenma's voice, as he now appeared in his teen form. There he stood, in full regalia; purple robes, red neck sash, and blue pacifier.

Jumping back, Ken was aghast. "Where did you come from?"

"Oh, far away. Is she here?" The prince asked through his pacifier.

"What kind of person still uses a baby toy? Who are you?" Ken eyed the blue object suspiciously.

"That's a long story. I need to speak with her."

Intently you listened for there now was a second voice. The gentle inflection, the haughty undertones; Recognizing the voice, you lowered yourself to the floor and got up. Is that…, you hurried to the door.

"Koenma!? What are you doing here?" You said pushing Ken out of the way.

"I'm here on important business. I see you've been doing well," Koenma motioned to Ken behind you.

"What important business could you have with my wife?" Ken barked, cautious of the stranger. Protectively, Ken came up to you, his teal eyes fiery.

"Ken, stop. It's ok." You said nudging him in the belly with your elbow.

Koenma's brown eyes widened, his pacifier nearly dropping from his lips. "Wife?! You're married?"

"For three years now," you said with a casual shrug. You grew serious. Knowing what his coming meant for you. "Yusuke is no longer Spirit Detective is he?"

"I think this conversation is better discussed alone," the prince offered to speak in the hall.

Sensing something amiss, you nodded and moved to follow him.

"Alright then. Ken wait here. I won't be long."

"What? Wait. No. Who the hell is this guy?" Ken's voice rose in the flat. He reached out and took your arm, his warm hand heating your skin.

With a reassuring smile you retracted yourself. "He's my old boss." You exited and closed the door.

Once outside, Koenma wasted no time in explaining. "Yusuke has quit being Spirit Detective. Which means that I am here to grant you the title in his stead. Congratulations, you are now Spirit Detective of the Earth." Koenma held out his hand for you to shake.

You took it, sensing there was another, underling reason for his being there.

"That's not all is it? You came for something else. Is Yusuke ok?"

"Yusuke is fine. He has since returned to Demon World where he has taken up the mantle of his ancestral father as king. Oh that's right…you don't know. Long story short, Yusuke descends from a long line of half-demons. His ancestor was the late King Raizen, one of the Three Kings of Demon World. And that is one of the reasons why I'm here. After spending several years there, Yusuke…Yusuke has undergone huge changes."

"Changes? Like what?" You questioned folding your arms.

"He had a son."

The hall became so quiet you would have heard a pin hitting the carpet. You stared disbelievingly at Koenma. Yusuke was a dad? How did that happen? Well…you knew how it happened but for some reason Yusuke being a father knocked you down more so than his being a demon. Wow, I never knew so much would happen in just three years, you thought. Koenma saw your incredulity and continued.

"Yes, I know—Yusuke a father? It's hard to imagine but it's true. However, a problem has come up and Yusuke is unable to care for the child."

"What about the mother?" you asked, forcing your brain to process everything with alarming ease. You had to, or else you would get caught up in old emotions. Yusuke moved on, as did you… though deep down, your heart crushed a bit at the thought of Yusuke with another.

"The mother is dead. Killed by demons during a raid on Yusuke's realm." Koenma went on.

"Was she demon as well?" You asked for curiosity's sake.

"No. she was human. Brought to Demon World by Yusuke."

You hesitated. The question burning in the back of your throat. "…Was it Keiko?"

"No. Keiko was accepted into Tokyo University and has gone to study abroad in Australia."

That gave you comfort and rightly so. Damn that conniving bitch! If she had ended up with Yusuke, you'd fly to Australia and dispose of her yourself out of principle. Yet none of that mattered now anyway. So Yusuke had a child with some other woman. I wonder what she looked like, you pondered fleetingly. But something was not sitting well with you. There was a missing puzzle piece staring you in the face; If the mother was dead, that left Yusuke right?

"And why can't Yusuke take care of his kid?" you inquired.

Koenma paused, swaying on his feet. "It's hard to describe—Yusuke, as a result of his demon blood, has gone into a sort of hibernation. A way for his power to grow, if you will. Thus, his young son, Akira, is left with no one to care for him."

"What about his human maternal family?"

Koenma shook his head. "No. That's not what Yusuke wants for his son."

Koenma then placed his hands on your shoulders. " I was sent here to give you a specific message: Yusuke has stated that if anything should happen to him, he wants you to care for Akira."

You raised your brows, pursing your lips. "Yusuke wants ME to care for his kid?"

"Yes."

"Come on Koenma! You're kidding me right? Please say you are." You tensed your shoulders. The muscles in your neck bulged as your head pulled back in astonishment.

"I'm afraid not. I had to come to London the moment Yusuke went into his sleep. Akira is here with me in fact. He's with a nanny right now. I wanted to come alone so you did not feel overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed!? Koenma! Are you out of your mind!? You are asking me to raise a child! I don't know the first thing about taking care of a kid! I don't even have my own yet! And to top it all off he's Yusuke's son! I can't have Spirit Energy and Demon Energy tearing apart my home!" You waved your arms trying to get the prince to understand the enormity of this request. You tried to keep your voice down but the gravity of the situation was quick to make it rise.

"I have not seen nor spoken to Yusuke in three years. And now out of the blue you expect me to take in his kid!? Do you have any feasible idea as to how that sounds Koenma? It's preposterous. A truly ridiculous request to shove upon me. How dare you come to me with this! In case you failed to see, I have my own life to figure out. Ken too. It would be disgraceful and unfair of me to put my HUSBAND in such a position. I can't just bring in the son of my ex! In addition the poor kid must be terrified! I'm a total stranger to him."

"It's what Yusuke wants. He still loves you (y/n). Akira's mother knew that as well. Everyone does. That's why he chose you to care for the boy. He knows that you will give Akira a wonderful life."

You shook your head, roughly pulling away from him. "No. No I can't do it. I do not want to be involved in some ugly and unnecessary custody battle between Akira's mother's family. I will not have it. I don't want someone else's responsibilities dropped onto me. I'm married now, Koenma. I have a husband and to ask this of me, in private no less, without bringing Ken into the equation is plain wrong. "

"Akira's grandparents don't even know he's alive. They have never met the boy. Please, please just meet him." Koenma asked quietly before you went back inside.

You refused him a response. Swinging open your door, you stepped over the threshold.

"It seems that Ken played a much larger role in your life than you thought, I'm sure he will understand. He did tell you, after all, that he wanted a son." Koenma interjected, revealing that he indeed knew of everything, regardless of his unethical use of your private conversations. Indicating that Ken would be enough force in pushing you to take on Akira's wellbeing, the prince had crossed a line. "Consider this your first assignment, if you will."

Angrily you snapped your head to glare heatedly at the prince. "You dare to imply that my decision is below what Ken wants? Make no mistake Koenma—you need me and my abilities. It would be very unwise to undermine me."

You tightened your grip on the knob, your knuckles fading white. "Koenma, I love you and I love Yusuke. There will always be a spot in my heart for him. But I can't alter my life for him. I'll fulfil my primary duties as Spirit Detective but that is all. However, I cannot accept this first mission. I'm sorry."

The moment the door clicked shut, the hall spun around you. Your heart raced in your chest. Bringing a hand to your mouth, your eyes darted around; sorting through the information you were just dealt. Why did your life have to be filled with sudden roadblocks and challenges? Why was Yusuke back in your life without being here! And that poor kid, Akira. No family, no home—he was essentially an orphan.

"This is messed up. If I don't take in Akira does that make me a bitch? How can Koenma put this on me? Fuckin ingrate it amazes me how he can sleep at night." You muttered.

"Fucking Koenma! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" You hit your forehead with your palms.

Ken, having returned to his task of polishing in the kitchen, overheard your frustrations. Rising from his chair he careened his head around the corner. "What happened?"

Taking a few deep breaths, you trudged over to the Weiss. With eyes fixed onto the floor, lips flattened into a line, you were the embodiment of tension. Ken knew by your constricted shoulders that you were under enormous stress and so came to you. Your husband reached out for you and soothingly rubbed your arms up and down.

"Hey, come on. Tell me. You know I hate seeing you like this. What did that guy say that's got you so upset?" Ken furrowed his brows and kissed your temple.

"Ken…we need to talk."

"About?"

You looked up your concern evident. "I've been given my first task as Spirit Detective. It's a huge responsibility and…I might need help."

Ken, who had rarely seen you so hesitant about anything to do with your duty, grew more and more disturbed. "What is it?"

Letting out a breath, you rolled your gaze to the ceiling. "Well—it involves you directly. My mission deals with…childcare."

"Childcare? Is a kid in danger?" Ken's eyes blazed at the thought that a helpless child was in need of rescue.

"He's not in danger. It's more like he needs our help." You winced inwardly as you spoke, beating around the bush was not something you enjoyed but in this case you felt as though you had to.

"Where is he?" Ken asked firmly, his protectiveness for children flooding out through his tightly grasping fingers.

"Right now he's with my boss. He's safe but my boss wants us to meet him."

"Why? Why is he with that guy?"

You whined as you exhaled. "It's a long story." With a long glance to your right, you gave Ken the tell-tale sign that you were avoiding the main issue.

"You're hiding something from me. Tell me what it is." Ken narrowed his eyes, his usual hotheadedness buckling under the adult intuition that, from time to time, shocked you.

"It's quite ridiculous really. My boss wants us to take in this kid for a while. His mom is dead and his father is…unfit to care for him. I told him no. That there was no possibility to care for a strange kid out of nowhere."

"What do you mean no? If he needs our help, why are we waiting? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that your job as a Spirit Detective and mine as a Weiss? To protect the innocent?" Ken gave a half-grin and knowing tilt of his head.

"Ken…that's exactly why I said no in the first place. I am a Spirit Detective. And you are an assassin. Ok? An _assassin_. Don't you know what this means? The two of us are too dangerous and ill equipped to take care of a kid. Think about it for a sec. We'll have a child running around. What if he gets to your bagh nakhs? Or gets too close when I meditate?" You said looking worried.

"And there's no one in the world who wants him?" Ken raised a brow, think that highly odd.

"Not exactly. He still has his maternal grandparents. But they don't care to know him," You quickly spun together a lie…which was not entirely untrue.

"So essentially…this kid is an orphan." Ken looked to the side as he pondered.

"Sort of. I said no because it's too much of a volatile responsibility."

Ken gave a contemplative nod. You could see his concern for the child fighting with his conscience. Giving you a cursory glance, Ken offered up the bit that there was plenty of room in the flat whether or not you two agreed to Koenma's (and Yusuke's) outlandish request.

"Ken—I know you love kids but this is entirely different. We can't do it."

"I know, I know. But it might be nice." Ken said with a sensitivity only used when he discussed children. "What's his name?"

"Akira." You closed your eyes, bringing your fingers to pinch the bridge of your nose.

"Akira. A good name."

"Does it mean anything?" You asked the thoughtful countenance.

"It means intelligence."

"Ah. I see."

The Weiss member, after much thinking and consideration of the greater picture, smiled broadly and gave you a gentle squeeze. "You know, there is a feeling I have in my gut about this that tells me it might be the right thing to do. And if your boss believes that you are the one most capable for this, then you can't turn him down."

"I already did." You replied staring at his chest.

"But…not that I'm undermining you, but if you don't followed through, won't you be I don't know…in trouble with the higher ups?"

"Mmmm. Maybe. Not really. It wouldn't be anything too severe." You answered.

" But if you did take the boy in…that would kinda make you his mother right?"

You felt the blush rise from your neck. "I wouldn't be his mother, Ken. Just his guardian. Like a step- parent. The same goes for you. You'd be playing the role of his step-father. I don't want to place that burden on you, Ken."

"Well, we can discuss this later. If your boss came all of this way just to tell you to look after this Akira, then this mission must be very important. If it was up to me and I was given this task I'd probably do it. Think about it; We can handle this kid. We deal with worse on a daily basis. Besides," Ken lowered his voice to an almost groaning whisper. Bringing his mouth to your ear, you felt the desire on his tongue drip like syrup. "Have you given the slightest consideration as to how incredibly sexy you would be with a kid in your arms?" Ken's eyes glittered with a sudden primal urge and you couldn't help but smirk.

"I get it now. So that's why you went on about Akira—just how sexy would I be?"

Ken did not answer, but bent down and hoisted you over his shoulder. You wriggled from the excitement Ken instilled in you and squealed and struggled. Playfully acting the victim, you swatted Ken's back and bottom to get him to release you. None of it worked. Ken strutted towards your joined room and dropped you onto the bed. Without warning, Ken pounced on you. Breathlessly you laughed up at him; his handsome face peered down from his looming position over you. Those eyes of stormy blue-green reflected nothing but the image of his wife below him. The soft wisps of his cocoa hair hung about his neck, dangling with the tenacity to reach out to you. Taking your arms, Ken posed them high above your head. With one hand, he held your wrists; the other raising your shirt to expose your chest. The cool afternoon air chilled your belly and breasts. Excited laughs escaped from you as Ken coaxed your flesh to rise in goose bumps.

Nestling securely between your legs, you felt his unmistakable hardness press against your right thigh. Your talk of caring for a child had awakened a great passion in him to warrant such arousal so swiftly. Grinning mischievously you wrapped your legs around his waist, entwining them with his own and gently rocked your hips side to side. Ken's pelvis swayed easily, the rolling motions placing a delicious pressure on his growing length. Once his breaths became shallow, and those teal pools darkened with lust did you lean forward to catch his bottom lip with your teeth.

"Tell me how sexy would be Ken."

"You would be crazy sexy." Ken gasped extending his tongue to lap at yours.

Moaning into his mouth, you met Ken in a heated kiss. Gliding your tongue over his coaxed the Weiss member into traveling from lips to neck.

Tilting your head to the side, Ken latched on tightly. His mouth nursed your skin, as if to find some life sustaining nourishment. When the time came for Ken to mount you, euphoric groans of lust emanated from your throat. Using your legs you pushed him deeper, faster into you. Your body arched as the fires within spread like blossoming petals. The heat from his essence was a welcomed sensation as he slowly descended from his heights. He lay atop you, his chest pressing into yours with each breath. For a long while the two of you remained in silence. The sounds of the London streets outside your windows growing louder as rush hour struck.

With the city ambiance lulling you to sleep, your final thoughts were on Koenma and the little boy he brought with him.

The following morning you spoke to Koenma. More relaxed about the topic, you heard his complete side of the issue before you told him your concerns. He suggested a low-key meeting between you, Ken and Akira at the Diana Memorial playground in Kensington Gardens two days hence around ten. It took much coercion before you reluctantly agreed. Ken, who was more inclined to meet Akira than you thought, harbored excitement over the get-together.

The next two days were filled with you explaining to Ken what they were venturing into. Ken understood your conundrum and, in his way that effectively nestled in your conscience, assured you that this was the right thing to do. You gave him kind looks of affection, but deep down you felt there was something off.

When you arrived at the playground, Koenma was sitting comfortably on a bench watching Akira race around the lush grounds chasing three anxious geese. The boy was the spitting image of Yusuke already sharing his go-get em personality and determined eyes. The boy looked adorable in his blue baseball t-shirt and jeans, completely unaware of his future.

Coming to sit next to Koenma, the prince called out to the rambunctious child who promptly ended his hunt for the geese and trotted over on chubby legs.

"Akira, these are very good friends of mine. Please meet (y/n) and her husband Ken. They're very happy to meet you."

The boy's wide eyes resonated with adoration as they rested upon you two. When a child's caretaker says that people are important to them, the child sees them as amazing. Gleefully and with an innocent's charm, Akira clasped his tiny hands atop your knees and bounced up and down. His bubbly smile beamed as his little, squeaky voice exclaimed excitedly:

"Wow! You're really pretty! Will you be my friend too?"

You couldn't explain why, but serenity enveloped you; making your eyes water and your throat tighten. Then you realized; this boy had a pure soul and an honest heart. Yusuke's temper and need for strength were absent in his son. So, putting on a charming smile you leaned forward.

"I would love to be your friend Akira. This is my dear friend Ken. Is it ok if he wants to be friends with you too?" You set your hand on Ken's leg.

The Weiss member felt his care grow for the child and went to shake his hand. "Nice grip you got there! Say, you wanna see if we can catch one of those birds?"

Akira's face lit from within and snatched Ken's much larger hand in his. Pulling your husband away from the bench, Akira giggled joyfully as Ken cantered awkwardly behind him. Once far enough away, you couldn't help but muse to yourself; To passersby they seemed like father and son having a pleasant morning—the adult indulging the child's adventurous antics. Koenma remained quiet, allowing you to take in the full picture in contemplative silence. Akira raced around Ken, jumping and dodging the Weiss member's playful clutches. The geese quickly became an afterthought and Ken and Akira found themselves in a world of their own.

The large smile stretching across Ken's face was all the convincing you needed that taking in Akira might not be as dire a situation you had surmised.

"It seems that those two get along quite well," Koenma said crossing his legs.

"So it appears. I guess if I said no now, both parties would be crushed." You sighed with a light smile. You knew when you had been defeated.

The prince turned his head. "What will you do?"

"What is his future going to be, Koenma? Can you tell me that?"

Koenma rolled the pacifier between his teeth. "He won't bring you any difficulty or strain. I can assure you of this. In fact, he will be an asset."

The decision came later that afternoon, after Ken and Akira were exhausted from running about all day chasing geese and fleeting shadows. Akira was to live with you and Ken upon the retrieval of the boy's things from Koenma's rooms. Yusuke's son adapted nicely to his new family—he was always close and interested in whatever you or Ken did. In no time, the three of you became quite the happy little trio. Ken treated Akira as if the boy were his own son and eagerly showed Akira the sight of your growing stomach. The news about your unexpected and unplanned pregnancy positively thrilled Ken. It happened a month after Akira came to live with you. Your period had stopped and your belly felt firmer, not to mention the slight queasiness in the morning. Now, at nearly five months along, your abdomen stuck out cutely. Ken always touched the growing roundness, pressing kisses here and there. The whole thing fascinated Akira. Akira would set his ear to your belly, listening and talking to his "sibling."

"You're going to love them," He would say with an adorable seriousness. "They are great parents."

Ken, meanwhile, was ever the doting soon-to-be father. So much so that you had to yell at him to leave you alone sometimes. The former Weiss however, did not listen and often came home from a day of shopping with Akira with bags and bags of baby items.

Ken even bought a First Time Baby Logue to record all of the baby's milestones. The first time you felt the baby roll, it was the weirdest sensation and you shivered there on the couch. When Ken asked what was wrong, you told him that nothing was wrong…just that the baby changed sides. Ken was disappointed, wanting to feel every move his child made. No matter what the being in your belly did, Ken was close by. And Akira was not far behind either. In the interim, the three of you discussed names and settled on two: if the child were a boy, it would be called Daisuke and if a girl was born, her name was to be Rose.

You found it fitting that Ken chose a flower to call his potential daughter. It was also a generous gesture of friendship towards Aya and their time in Weiss Kreuz. Aya was the reason you two ended up in London in the first place.

When the big day arrived it was all a blur as Ken rushed you to the London Hospital. There after ten hours of labor (which you spent in the glorious pain free dream of the epidural) you gave birth to a baby girl. Rose Hidaka. Born December 15 at 7:34p.m. She was seven pounds and three ounces, with fine dark hair and teal green eyes. Ken was beside himself with elation. He took her from you while you slept and simply watched his daughter explore her new surroundings. Sitting in the recliner beside your bed, Ken introduced Rose to Akira who, true to his father's heritage, promised to protect her forever.

Those few, precious hours were quickly interrupted by the posh Lord Krypton and the other members of Weiss Side B. In no time, your suite was overrun with highly trained assassins all cheers and congratulatory embraces. Lord Krypton bestowed upon you lavish gifts of baby clothes, toys, and a beautiful Brazilian cherry crib that converted into a bed when Rose grew older. Of this last item, Lord Krypton handed you a photo of the crib stating that he will have it brought to your flat tomorrow. Touched by his gesture, you thanked him and discussed your return to assisting his team.

"You are sure you wish to return so soon?" he asked seating himself next to you.

"Yes. I've been away for way too long. You didn't think I'd be a meek little housewife did you?" You winked at the older man.

Lord Krypton laughed, his hands resting atop his cane. "Not at all, my dear. You are welcome back whenever you like. Little Rose will be looked after should you need to go along with Side B as well."

"Thank you for that. Speaking of…where does Ken have her?" You glanced around for your gleeful husband.

You spotted him still carrying Rose making his way towards Aya. Ken brought Rose to the red-head, telling her that he was one of his closest friends. You watched from your bed as Aya let the chubby hand grasp his finger. A smile lit his face but then lowered into a pensive line.

"Will you be leaving Weiss Side B, Ken?" Aya asked. He figured that Ken would much rather spend his days caring for his infant child then risking his life. But Aya regained his smile as Ken responded.

Ken glanced at Rose's sleeping face and held her closer. "No. I have someone important to protect now. I'll be damned before I see her grow in a world where evil avoids justice."

Overhearing their conversation, you piped up.

"Just Rose, Ken? What about me and Akira?" You jokingly chided.

"Aww, don't worry! Ken's just head over heels in love right now. Look at him! I've never seen a man gush over a pretty girl so much," Chloe teased.

The men of Side B, including the highly conservative Free, all jeered and patted Ken on the back. Their salutes to their fellow teammate clamored to the room's ceiling causing nurses to check in then quickly turn away in understanding. Amidst the loud voices and excited chatter, Rose began to stir. Her fussing cries caused Lord Krypton to usher the men outside, giving you, Akira, and Ken time alone. Ken set Rose in your arms watching as you fed her. Akira, exhausted from the celebrations, quickly fell asleep in the recliner. Resting there he looked so much like Yusuke that it made your heart skip.

Rose too fell into a deep sleep and was placed back into her hospital crib for the night. With kisses from both you and Ken, she slept soundly beside Akira. That night, Ken observed his family with a reverence he thought he would never feel. Coming from nothing he now had a lovely wife, a son, and a brand new daughter. Those warming thoughts in his mind, Ken nestled next to you and held you close as he followed in his family's tired footsteps.

Epilogue:

As the years passed, Rose grew into a beautiful young woman with all her mother's charm and her father's athleticism. Much to her mother's surprise, Rose displayed no real heightened spiritual awareness. Taking after her father in that regard, what Rose lacked was made up in Akira's prowess. However, Rose did grow to become a brilliant student and a skilled athlete. And as always alongside her was Akira; The son of Yusuke Urameshi proved formidable under the tutelage of Rose's mother and quickly learned how to harness his father's energy.

Ken had continued with his flower shop and Weiss Side B. Yet as he grew older, he joined in on the missions less and less. Instead he kept up his endurance and stealth by training and encouraging Rose's love of sports.

It was during these years of experience and growth that Rose and Akira realized their developing attraction for one another. They had grown up knowing they were not related by blood and so decided to act upon their feelings. Akira was the strapping youth his father had been. Tall and fit with Yusuke's black hair and determined eyes, Akira fell in love with Rose. And, like her mother years before, she succumbed to the attraction of the Urameshi line.

Shortly after declaring their love for each other, Akira and Rose married. Rose's parents were joyful for the union and were pleased in their daughter's choice. Word soon spread to Koenma in Spirit World who found it quite ironic that Yusuke's son met, lived with, and married the daughter of his father's first love. That serendipity was expounded when Rose later gave birth to a daughter whom she named Ayako. It was then that Koenma resurfaced and approached Rose's mother. Now in her early forties, but nonetheless formidable in power, Rose's mother was informed of her future replacement and the next Spirit Detective of Earth.

"Ayako will be great. You must instruct her and teach her all that Genkai taught you." Koenma explained.

In all the years Koenma remained ageless; still the teenager he was over twenty years ago.

"I never imagined that my granddaughter would be next in line. But I'll make sure she takes her lessons seriously."

Before he left, Koenma mentioned another important factor, one that had been dormant for some time. "Yusuke has re-awakened from his sleep. You know, the first thing he did was ask about you."

In her heart Rose's mother felt old pangs of past feelings emerge. She smiled warmly for her affection and love for Yusuke had not diminished. She thought of her husband. She loved Ken, adored him even but there would always be a spot for Yusuke.

"Oh? What did he say?"

"He asked how you were. And how Akira was."

Rose's mother nodded in quiet absorption of Yusuke's inquiry. "Does Yusuke want to see Akira?"

Koenma shrugged. "I'm not sure. I would imagine so though."

Rose's mother knew what the unspoken implications meant; it was time to bring Akria to Yusuke in Japan. This ultimately indicated that she and Yusuke meet. Akira had grown knowing that his biological father had to give him up to Rose's mother and Ken for guardianship reasons—yet that nonetheless hardened his heart and feelings towards his sire. Akira had always seen Ken as his father…what would be his reaction to Yusuke? What if it was hostile? That was a potential outcome. Akira had Yusuke's boar headedness and his father's powers. The fur might fly if they were placed in the same room.

Yet that was a risk Rose's mother had to take. So, after discussing it with Akira that evening, she was a tiny bit surprised when Yusuke's son agreed to go. Apparently Akira secretly did desire to see his real father for purposes akin to natural curiosity. Rose and Ken desired to go as well but Rose's mother firmly said no to their requests.

"This is a dangerous place we are going to. You both are strong and can hold your own I'm not saying that you can't…but this is not a place for those without spirit power."

Rose and her father insisted upon the trip. Rose stated that she did not care if she was born without a heightened sense of the Spirit World, she wanted to go with her husband to see her father-in-law.

"Mom, this is ridiculous. I'm going with you. I should be there to support Akira, isn't that what a good wife would do? Wouldn't you do that for dad?"

Ken stood behind his daughter with a stony expression. His teal green eyes were hard for reasons personal. He was unhappy with the predicament set before him. To let his wife venture off to see her ex and bring his son with her was too much. It was as if she was Yusuke's long lost wife and together with their son, the three of them were reuniting. Not to mention the fact that Yusuke haunted his wife's memory with the unkindness he showed her during their breakup. And the little fact that Yusuke tried to kill him was a close second. For Ken the whole picture screamed unfit. He needed to be there.

"I agree with Rose. We should all go. As Akira's family I say we have that right."

Rose's mother stood straight and proud before her family, her power tingling within her. "I do not want to risk you getting hurt."

Akira gave his "mother" a thoughtful glance. All of his life, she had acted as a fierce tutor and mother to him. Beautiful, powerful and wise, Rose's mother was one force not to contend with. Together with his "father" Ken, the two made an impressive team. Even in their forties, no one dared to confront them. Demons feared them as well as Weiss Side B's victims. The fact that they argued back and forth about Akira and his emotional and physical safety gratified him. Akira felt such pride that he believed his chest might burst. These two were his parents; His true parents. Their daughter, his wife, was his soul-mate and largest supporter. And he understood Ken and Rose's demand to travel with them.

So turning to his "mother" Akira placed his hand upon her shoulder. "I think they should come. Dad is right. Yusuke was never a parent to me. You have. And if he is as great a Spirit Detective as you say he is, or was, then I want my whole family to be there."

"Akira," Began his mother, "Yusuke has been in a demonic hibernation for over twenty years. He is far more than just a Spirit Detective now. I've told you this before; Yusuke is not human. The same is said of you and Ayako. As those who share Yusuke's bloodline, you must take heed. I don't know how your demon blood will react to seeing him."

But Akira merely smiled and went to hug his mother. "It is dangerous I know. But I can control myself because of you, and doesn't Ayako have your and dad's blood as well? I know we will be fine."

Rose's mother paused for a moment. "Yes…I suppose that is true."

"So does this mean we're going mom?" Rose asked, the anticipation seeping from her.

Ken looked at his wife expectantly. Rose's mother knew why he wanted to go and she felt sympathy for him.

"Yes. If it's what Akira wants then we can all go. I'll just deal with Koenma when we get to Japan."

Rose sighed with a relieved cry and went to embrace her husband. Ken likewise went to his wife and held her close. For the time being with their tensions abated, the couples readied themselves for the long flight and the inevitable meeting that was awaiting them.

Japan:

Not hours after the family landed in Narita International Airport, did Koenma come to greet them. Surprised to see the whole clan, Koenma spoke to Rose's mother in private. They discussed the responsibility she was to undertake should any harm come to Ken, Akira, Rose or Ayako.

"I understand Koenma. Trust me , nothing will get to them so long as I'm here. You can be sure of that." Rose's mother said with a wink.

Koenma laughed outright. "I missed your resolve! Still the Spirit Detective I hired years ago. I'm glad to see that you haven't changed. You are all in for a real treat. Rose, I bet you've never seen your mother in action have you?"

Rose knew she was in the presence of the prince of the Spirit World, a being she had only heard of, and quickly curtsied in respect. "No. She would not let me go with her on missions. Is she great?"

"Great? She is fantastic. The strongest Detective to date…well, until she is replaced that is." He finished eyeing little Ayako.

Hearing such praise and accolade from the prince made Rose look at her strong mother in a new light that was nothing if not pride. Ayako shifted in her arms but remained fast asleep completely ignorant of her surroundings.

"You are fortunate to have your mother with you. Because where we are going, you'll need her."

The Outskirts of Raizen's (Now Yusuke's) Kingdom; Demon World:

By the time they reached Demon World, the sun was beginning to set in the west. Ken, Rose and Akira looked around the vast desert kingdom in awe. To behold a wide expanse of space of this magnitude was difficult to do. Demon World was by far much larger than Human World and the sight of Yusuke's lands emphasized that. Miles and miles of open desert with no end in sight. It was like staring at the Grand Canyon if one had never taken in its majesty.

Ayako was awake now but remained quiet as if she knew in some strange way what was to happen. Rose's mother led the party alongside their demonic escort. Koenma had left them in the demon's care trusting that the one called Hokushin would guarantee their safe passage to Yusuke.

The tall, bald demon spoke very highly of Rose's mother from the stories he had been told by Yusuke as they walked. Hokushin also praised his king, embellishing on Yusuke's rule. Akira resisted the urge to join in on the conversation. Instead he stayed behind with Rose, carrying Ayako from time to time. Ken, meanwhile, stood guard over his children and granddaughter. The Weiss member watched his wife talk with the other-worldly creature and wondered how she managed to keep such a level head. Normally she destroyed demons but with this one she held back. She treated him like a fellow human in fact. This confused Ken and frustrated him. Yet what bothered him more was his seclusion from the conversation.

"How much farther is this place?" He asked with slight irritation and leeriness.

Hokushin kindly replied, "Just a bit further. My king's castle is up ahead."

True to his word, Yusuke's palace soon revealed itself beyond the desolate sands. Rising high into the air were soaring, dark spires of carved stone and earth each dotted with hundreds of windows. The tallest tower was decorated in long brightly colored tapestries and streamers in obvious ceremony. It was outside of this one where the entourage halted and an announcement was made. Suddenly, demons resembling Hokushin assembled alongside the party. All of them wore the same monk-ish robes and shaved head. In the distance arose a set of multiple steps and upon those steps stood Yusuke.

Now flanked by Hokushin, the new demon king saw Rose's mother and stared in raw silence. She had grown older, though she retained much of her youthful beauty. Despite being twenty years older, Rose's mother appeared no more than thirty-five.

The sight of her made Yusuke speechless. There she was, the woman he let get away. She had come all of this way to see him again. And she brought his son! Yes his son. He must not forget that! Yusuke's chocolate eyes rested on the handsome Akira and he smiled hopelessly. How else could he acknowledge the child he never knew? The son and heir he would have to cultivate a relationship with.

"You got big," Yusuke said in that same smooth voice that caused Rose's mother to cry out inside.

She was transfixed on Yusuke. Yusuke, who like Koenma, had not aged as his human side should. Instead Yusuke's face was more angular and his body more fit. His black hair was still slicked back and kept short. Unlike before, Yusuke's cheeks and the visible portion of his chest bore the ancestral tattoos of his father, the late King Raizen. But he was different. It was not purely physical, but material. He felt changed by his sleep; his demonic hibernation. Rose's mother sensed the potent demon blood and its effect on him. These past decades had altered Yusuke much more than she expected and now as she stood before the former Spirit Detective she wondered if she would indeed be strong enough to stop a possible scuffle between Akira and his father.

Yusuke descended the earthen stairs, all the while his dark eyes flitted from son to former lover. He marveled at the way Akira brazenly stood semi-in front of Rose's mother seeking to guard her against the foreign man. Yusuke saw the striking resemblance he had with his son and noticed the regal bearing the young man possessed. He carried an air of impropriety about him too. Despite his father being a king, Akira showed no inclination of bowing his head and that is what made Yusuke smile.

"A chip off the old block. Refusing to lower my head was exactly what I did when I met your grandfather…that and trying to kill 'em."

Akira did not shift his grave expression. Beside him, Rose's mother moved to face Yusuke. The demon king turned to see her.

"Hello Yusuke." She said in a strong voice.

Moving to stand between the two, she reached and took Akira's right hand. Much to his alarm, Rose's mother then took Yusuke's left and placed them together. She knew that the two men would only stand ridged as statues saying nothing unless she intervened. With her hands clasped around them, Rose's mother made the long overdue introductions.

"Akira, this is your biological father—Yusuke Urameshi. Yusuke…this is your son Akira."

"Hidaka. My name is Akira Hidaka."

Yusuke rightfully understood the reason why his son claimed Ken's last name and he permitted his lips to sag slightly in regret.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Akira. I remember you as a young kid. Just turned three and already causing hell. But I see that you have grown into a fine young man. And I hope to be able to get to know you in the future." Yusuke said without faltering.

"I have. My parents have raised me well." Akira responded coldly, not fully trusting the man who was his true father.

"Akira…" Rose's mother began but was cut off.

"No. It's fine. Baby steps right?" Yusuke nodded towards her.

"…That's right."

Yusuke looked down at their entwined hands. Standing here holding Akira's own and being covered by Rose's mother's, the three of them felt like a family; the family that should have been in Yusuke's mind.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Who's with you?" Yusuke checked around Akira's shoulder.

The fiery eyes of Ken met his and the two both looked to Rose's mother; one of protection, the other of affection born from separation. Yusuke could tell that the former Weiss member had not lost any of his strength and was just as dangerous as he was two decades ago. Upon sensing Ken's advanced prowess, Yusuke subsided his past emotions towards the assassin. It was then that both men reached a mutual agreement. As two who loved Rose's mother unconditionally, Ken and Yusuke knew that they shared a duty to safeguard her.

Ken knew he could never erase the past and after witnessing how Yusuke looked at his wife, felt that it might be easier to just let his concern over this whole matter go.

Rose's mother answered Yusuke question, her voice amplifying with astonishment as she named her family members. "You already know Ken. He is my husband now. This is my daughter Rose. And the little one is Ayako." Rose's mother inhaled and breathed with a wide beam. "She's our granddaughter Yusuke if you can believe that!"

Yusuke nearly fell over. A granddaughter? Now he felt really old. "Well hell! I gotta see her. Can I?" He asked Akira.

Releasing his father's hand the young man reached back for Rose to join him. Rose held Ayako tightly as she approached her father-in-law, trying her best to take it all in. Yet one glance at Akira's father and Rose felt herself blush. Yusuke was handsome and she saw Akira in his face. Inside she wondered if her mother ever felt a love for this man as she did for Akira and quickly turned to her. Rose's query was answered as soon as she glimpsed the unabashed glitter in her mother's eyes. It was as if she had regressed twenty years and was the youthful girl undergoing Genkai's training once again.

"Yes. You may see her. You can hold her too if you like." Rose offered her baby warmly.

Yusuke eagerly took the child and rocked her in his arms. "She looks like her grandmother."

"That's right! Young and beautiful," Rose's mother laughed.

Ken sensing it was ok to proceed, went over to his wife and joined the reunion.

"She is also like her grandfather," He said kindly.

"Which one?" Rose's mother poked lightly.

"Both." Akira said. "She is like all of her grandparents."

At that moment, Akira came closer to his biological father and Ayako's face lit up.

"Ayako, this is your other grandfather Yusuke."

Rose and her mother and father went silent as Akira and Yusuke ogled Ayako. They all decided it was best to leave them be; They deserved their peace.

Later that evening:

Yusuke had insisted that they stay in his main palace. Hokushin and the other monks were to be their escorts and little Ayako was to be watched diligently. Rose and Akira were given a large, spacious room on the upper floors while their parents slept in the chamber above them. Alone, Rose's mother and Ken spent most of the night before dinner discussing the new family arrangements and what Yusuke's role in their lives would be. According to Demon World law, Akira was next in line to Yusuke's throne followed by Ayako. Rose's mother tried her best to get Ken to fathom the reality of being thrust into not only a new world with alien inhabitants, but also into Demon royalty. Of course preparations were to be conducted for the inevitable coronation of Akira as prince and Rose as princess.

Yusuke would grant that to his kin as it was their birth right. This meant that as the future royal's parents, Rose's mother and Ken were to be entitled as well. Rose's mother was excited in telling Ken the details and Ken was surprisingly fine with them and thus left the technicalities to his wife. She, being more familiar with demons and their ways, was better suited for the job anyway. All Ken wanted was to see his family happy and if that took the form of Yusuke and becoming members of Demon royal society, then so be it.

Later On:

Dinner was a success. Yusuke sat his family at his table, Hokushin and the other demonic monks were seated on the dais below. Yusuke had wine and food overflowing most of the night, a reflection of his delight. Below his demon cohorts were positively thrilled beholding their king so overjoyed. Hokushin kept his piercing eyes upon Rose's mother, knowing full well that it was because of her that his king was so jubilant and therefore vowed to personally protect her.

During the evening, even though it was slow and cautious, Akira warmed to Yusuke. He found little nuances that they both shared and gradually his icy barrier chipped. He still regarded Rose's mother and Ken as his parents but perhaps getting to know his real father might not be a bad thing in the long run. If not for his sake at the moment, Akira did it for Ayako.

When the festivities had come to a close and the partygoers finding it hard to stay awake, Ken, Rose, Akira and Ayako bid Yusuke a goodnight. Akira gave his parents kisses and hugs as did Rose before they retired with their already slumbering Ayako. Yusuke felt his heart weighted in his chest at the sight, but held onto the hope that Akira would come to see him as a father too. Rose's mother stated that she wished to stay up for a bit longer and work out the finer points of their position in Demon hierarchy. Ken kissed his wife and with an appreciative nod to Yusuke left for bed.

Being alone with Yusuke after so many years was unnerving for Rose's mother and she offered to go for a walk along the grounds. Yusuke heartily agreed and without informing Hokushin, the two ventured outside into the dark.

Walking in silence Rose's mother allowed herself to simply be in Yusuke's presence. It was still the same. He was still the strong, resilient man she loved. She regarded his footsteps; their confident fall thudding securely on the earth made her relax in nostalgic bliss. Yusuke also permitted himself to dive into sweet recollections. She had not lost any of her youthful beauty and tenacity. He longed to touch her, hold as he once did. In his hibernation he dreamed of her often with some of those dreams so real it left his lips and body tingling.

Now here she was a mere two feet from him. Her hand swung next to his as they walked, near enough for him to grab it and pull her close. Yet he wouldn't dare. Not without her permission. Physical touch seemed to zealous after their rough parting and spontaneous reunion. Instead he thought of another, more entertaining solution to break the ice.

Suddenly flaring his demon energy, Yusuke geared up to challenge her to a fight. Not missing a beat, Rose's mother caught onto his plan and readied her own spirit energy.

"Seriously Yusuke? This is why you brought me out here? To fight me?" Rose's mother said with a sly grin. "I should have known you didn't change."

"What? C'mon. Like the old days. And I think it's more appropriate for you to kick my ass again after what I did to you. Seriously…I want you to fight me." Yusuke replied in a mixture of mischief and maturity.

Rose's mother blinked away the painful memories of their breakup and the bittersweet images of their what-if relationship. Wasting no time she attacked, running towards him. Quickly she averted making a direct hit and levitated into the air. Yusuke was impressed by the height, noting how much higher she could fly, and followed her up. Catching him below her, Rose's mother focused energy into her hands making them glow white. Turning sharply, she set them together and unleashed a barrage of white spirit arrows.

"Spirit Arrow Bombardment!" She yelled as her attack zeroed in on its target. Her right eye twitched…she still hated naming her techniques.

Yusuke dodged the attack, barely. To his surprise Rose's mother's power had developed by leaps and bounds and here in Demon World was the perfect place to let them fully go. The arrows zinged through the air, their aim true. Yusuke quickly defended with a Spirit Wall, and released a torrent of Shot Gun blasts.

"Ha! That will do you no good!" Rose's mother easily deflected the attack by harnessing her arrows into a solid white barrier.

Yusuke watched in amazement as his demonic energy was absorbed by her. Yusuke knew from experience that if she could withstand a direct attack from him now, she was formidable.

"Hey, why don't we settle this thing once and for all? One major attack of spirit energy. The winner gets a prize" Yusuke smirked up at her.

"What's the prize then Yusuke?"

"Respect!" Yusuke threw back.

Rose's mother heard the sarcasm in his voice and agreed. "Fine!"

Both combatants surged their full power; Yusuke's a bright burning red, Rose's mother's a blazing white. She gazed down at her former lover and remembered the pain and hurt Keiko had caused their relationship. As she pulled those thoughts from memory, Yusuke watched as her aura grew blindingly hot.

From the safety of the palace, Akira saw the two lights and relayed the information to his wife and father. Ken felt his wife's heightened energy and his chest tightened. Inside he knew her reasons for such energy and sent her his strength.

Down below Rose grew nervous for her mother, not knowing what she was feeling and not seeing. It bothered her that Akira followed their movements but she wondered if it was for the best that she could not. The energy with which her mother was emitting seeped into Rose's body. She felt weak and dizzy, whereas Akira took it all in.

"What is going on Akira? What's happening to my mom?"

"It's ok Rose. She needs to do this. She is doing what I cannot, should not do. It seems that Yusuke hurt her too before. And while he is strong, our mother is stronger. Trust me, she will be fine."

Rose looked at Akira and righted herself. "You are right. Even though I cannot see it, my mother is powerful. As her daughter I cannot be weak." Coming closer to their window, Rose leaned out and yelled with all her breath. "WE'RE ALL BEHIND YOU! KICK HIS ASS MOM!"

Hearing her daughter's encouragement and feeling her husband's love, Rose's mother found herself glowing brighter and brighter.

"Yusuke, I have to do this!"

With a guttural scream, Rose's mother released her enormous energy. The sound was like that of an explosion, with winds racing in all directions. Yusuke prepared his own attack. One just as large and bright as hers, Yusuke jettisoned his power towards her. The two powers collided in a rush of wind, dust and flickering sparks. Two massive sources fought against each other in whirling clouds and thundering might. Neither side gave in, neither side buckled. After several seconds, the two powers took it upon themselves to end this feud. They merged together, a dark pink. The energy source doubled in size and shot upwards into the night. As large as the moon it raced up. In its wake it cut through clouds and blast through the atmosphere to self-implode into millions of dazzling stars.

Yusuke and Rose's mother, still suspended in mid-air, turned their faces to each other. They did not need to speak of what happened—the significant meaning of the shooting sparkles of their energy above. They were equal. They had suffered the same, endured the same. Their children found one another despite their parent's separation. Akira and Rose crossed oceans to find each other in the great web of fate, just as Yusuke and Rose's mother had done. Their children found love and succeeded in doing what they never did; married and had a child. Yet it was through their granddaughter Ayako that at last, their love and lineage joined. Ayako was to go on as Spirit Detective and queen of Yusuke's lands. And in that connection they merged into one force. A force so incredible that no earthly plain could contain it.

Slowly, they descended back to the ground, Yusuke settling first. Rose's mother came to the earth and finally let her tears fall. They fell not in sadness but in happiness.

Yusuke went forward and took her into his arms. Pressed to his chest, Rose's mother felt young again. She held onto Yusuke with her remaining strength and inhaled his same musky scent with its hints of pomade.

"I love you, I always have." Yusuke whispered into her hair.

Rose's mother then looked up at Yusuke Urameshi, and leaned in. Yusuke met her and in the vast openness of his kingdom, they kissed. The warm night air embraced them and comforted them as a slight breeze rippled their clothing into a soft dance. High above, shining familiarly in its silvery light, the moon seemed to smile—it had heard its last, and most important confession.

The End.


End file.
